Ocean Dance

In the Ocean we have been discovering many new species. The impact we humans have on these new species of animals are unknown and conservation is vital for the next generation.

With over 71% of the Earth’s surface covered, the story of the ocean is as older than the Earth itself as recent studies show. However we humans have only explored and charted only 5%. Within it, animals of different shapes and sizes living in various conditions and depths create one of the main repositories of the world's biodiversity. With many different new species found even today, the importance of dance and courtship to attract a mate in the animal world is little understood.

Humpback whales is one such animal – one of the largest animals on Earth, which can grow over 60ft and weight about 40 metric tonnes. Until recently Humpback whales have been hunted to near extinction and due to international effort have recovered and been removed from the endangered species list, an incredible feat resulting from years of conservation efforts. As a result of this effort population have risen back to as much as 93% of their original population prior to hunting.

Although the importance of song and dance for courtship of the humpback whales is still unknown, the beauty of bond between a mother teaching its newborn calf is indescribable. Whilst feeding the calf and giving it nourishment, the mother teaches the calf how to strengthen the strokes of it flippers as it prepares the calf for the migration routes. These whales go through many hardships along the way, and each have their own story to tell. Many whales have scars and markings along their tails and pectoral fins which may show what they have been through.

If considered for the Residency Bursary at Landskrona Foto, I would love to travel around, do hikes to photograph and capture the beauty of nature and wildlife of that part of the world to share with others. Thank you for taking your time to review this submission.