Samara Achermann, Coastal Migration (ANIMAL & NATURE 2024)

My portfolio depicts the behaviour of these individual humpback whales as they travel along the coastlines of Western Australia during their migration north and south. The behaviours I have depicted are breaching and tail slapping. Not only are these behaviours considered playful but they are also a form of communication. Often times you will see one whale tail slapping and another in the distance begin to do the same. They truly are gentle giants and seeing them interact with each other, and us humans as we share their space in the sea, is one of the most beautiful things that you can witness along the Australian coastlines every year. My goal with these images is to show just how beautiful and curious these creatures of the ocean are, and to continue to push for not only their protection but the protection of their oceanic environment too.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.