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Tony Wu's Image
Dozens of sperm whales mingled noisily off the coast, stacked as far as Tony could see. Immediately, he realised that this was something special – like a gathering of clans, these whales were part of a multi-day congregation. For Tony, the sight filled him with hope that ‘the recovery of sperm whale populations may be going well’.
The marble-like appearance of these whales is a sign of skin-sloughing. Large aggregations like this one will rub and roll against each other to exfoliate their neighbour’s dead skin, helping them to maintain hydrodynamic performance. The tactile contact also helps to reinforce social bonds.
Behind the lens
Tony Wu
USA/Japan
Tony devotes most of his time to researching and documenting rarely seen marine animals and environments, spending more days at sea that he does on land. After spending years photographing tropical reefs, whales and large aggregations of spawning fish, he is currently exploring the varied and diverse marine environments of Japan, which encompass everything from tropical to Arctic environments, as well as many unique habitats in between.
Image details
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- 15mm f2.8 lens
- 1/250 sec at f6.3 • ISO 800
- Sri Lanka
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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