Conservation Photography

Karim Iliya in Tonga

The underwater world is a magical place. Only In outer space and underwater are you free to move in any direction you choose. Up or down, it does not matter. It is a strange world that very few people spend time in, and yet it is fascinating and full of mysteries. There are animals that seem to have super powers like sperm whales that use sonar to navigate in darkness and paralyze giant squid for food. There are colonies of coral that battle at night and jellyfish with bioluminescence. But my favorite my favorite animals are the the humpback whales that gather together for signing, fighting, mating, and raising their young. They are giants, growing the size of buses, 15 meters long, with a 5 meter tail, and 5 meter fins, and yet they are possibly the most gentle and kind animals in the water.

To explore the underwater world, I practice the art of freediving. Freediving is when you dive down on a single breath of air without any scuba equipment. With only mask, snorkle, wetsuit, weightbelt and very long fins, I take a deep breath and plunge into the ocean.

The underwater world is my favorite place to be. For 1 to 2 minutes, my body is weightless, my camera is weightless, and the animals that move around are strange and beautiful. Light beams dance as breaking waves move like storms, and turtles feed on on the grasses below. And then I must breathe. I come up to the surface take some deep breaths, and go back down to explore. In a few places on Earth like Hawaii and Tonga, large populations of thousands of Humpback whales ritually gather. Humpbacks live much of the time in cold waters like Antarctica, Alaska, Canada, and the Arctic where there is abundant food like krill. They work together to create bubble nets to herd the krill and small fish into a tight area, fill their mouth with the food and water, and then push the water out through toothlike structure’s called Baleen. During the winter months, they travel across the Oceans to the warm protected waters of Hawaii, Tonga, and other islands in the South Pacific to breed and have their babies

Living in Hawaii, I spent the winter or 2014 watching whales from a boat. Jumping, playing and fighting. I was fascinated by these animals and wanted to swim with them, yet the laws meant I had to stay on the boat and watch them from above. It has been said that studying whales from a boat is like studying monkey’s from a plane. In August 2014, I packed my underwater camera gear and flew to Tonga to join a boat expedition with a permit to finally swim with the humpbacks.

There was nothing that could have prepared my for the experience. Whales are Mammals. Like us, they teach and care for their young. They are also highly intelligent and often inquisitive. Each one has a completely different personality. Humpback whales will interact with you and display a multitude of emotions and expressions like curiosity and compassion. The adults are regal, stoic creatures, the size of buses, 15 meters in length, their faces etched with wisdom, their bodies scarred from battles in one of the most dynamic mating rituals in nature. The babies are often curious, clumsy, and playful. Every interaction is different, and each humpback displays different personality traits. It seems you can see their expressions change and feel their emotions conveyed through their facial expressions and body language. Though the size of buses, they are very gentle and kind, controlled in their movements. Humpbacks are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures. They glide through the water, and move with perfect precision fully aware of their size. Sometimes they look like birds, flapping long wing like fins and gliding across a blue landscape. A mother whale can look like a space ship, stationary, her baby protected under her fin coming up to the surface for air before taking shelter beneath the fin again. They can make sharp turns, and breach the surface of the water. Not only that, like humans, their moods change. Some mother’s are cautious and careful with their babies, while others are very relaxed. Every interaction is completely different.

When I finally got into the water with the humpbacks, I was filled with unexplainable emotions. Looking into a whale’s eye, I felt a strong connection and realized how unique and important these creatures are. We almost hunted these animals to extinction. There are whales alive today that watched their companions slaughtered by humans for the oil in their fat, and yet they are very gentle and kind.

My first experience with a baby humpback whale was to come across a sleeping mother. The baby was under her fin, with it’s face popping up looking at my and my 3 companions curiously. We smiled and waved, and finally it’s curiosity was strong, and it approached us. This baby was approximately 1 week old, and 4.5 meters long. It was entirely white, and yet it looked old and wise. It rolled on it’s back and played, with us happily, until suddenly the energy changed. The mother had woken up. Everything stopped. We felt a powerful energy, and like a submarine she rose to the surface. We found ourselves face to face with a 15 meter long animal. It was a very humble experience. It was clear that she was the boss. After some moments of inspecting us, she seemed to approve, closed her eye and went back to the depths sleep.

In another moment, me and my two companions got in the water with a battle. It was a group of male humpbacks led by a female whale, battling for mating rights. With a deep breath I jumped beneath the torrent of bubbles from the boat wake. I swam deep down, calming my racing heart to conserve the oxygen in my lungs, and then I saw them. Four fully grown whales. I stopped swimming, and stayed suspended in water. I watched as the whales cruised by, one blowing a stream of bubbles. Suddenly two broke off and started smashing into each other, twirling and turning, their tails whipping around. Animals the size of buses fighting underwater. It was silent but my brain filled in the sounds. I watched, suspended in the water, as they got closer and closer. It was only then that I had envisioned being smashed between two giants animals, an unintended casualty of the need to procreate. I forgot all about oxygen and the cold. I stopped taking pictures when one whale smashed the other, and a 5 meter tail whipped passed me. I could do nothing but watch the chaos around me. I braced myself for pulverization, but just at the moment before impact, the two whales split apart, and gracefully flew past me, the closest at less than an arms length away. The whales knew I was there, and even in their struggle, made sure not to crush the delicate little creature in rubber suit, floating in the water. When I look back at the last few pictures, it’s very clear that the whale that nearly smashed into me was looking at me. They were aware of my presence, and made a conscious effort, going out of their way not to hurt me. I have been told this happens again and again. Humpback whales will make great efforts to be careful not to hurt humans, even when they are fighting. This was a powerful humbling experience, in which we humans can learn something from these gentle animals. The same whales who battle during mating season, will work together in the colder waters of their feeding grounds.

I have become extremely passionate about whales. During my time with the humpbacks, I felt everything from humility, fear, love, amazement, and excitement. I saw them interact with dolphins, and watched young whales engage in romantic courtship. They are It is extremely important to protect our marine ecosystems and the creatures that live with in them. In my photography, I try to show intimate moments, interactions, and expressions in order to make people realized that these gentle giants are not dangerous beasts, and that we cannot afford to lose them When you look into space, most of it is devoid of life, full of harmful radiation, cold, dark, and hostile. This planet is a paradise oasis in an enormous cosmic desert. Lets do our best to protect it.

Karim was published in National Geographic magazine for his humpback whale photography. He now leads his own trips so that others can swim with whales.

If you are interested in swimming with or photographing humpback whales, Karim guides people in small trips between August and October every year in Tonga. Visit www.dancewithwhales.com to find out more

To see more of Karim’s work, visit his website at www.karimphotography.com

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Conservation Photography

National Geographic Explorer Thomas Peschak to Receive 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling

This year’s award recognizes Peschak’s legacy of visually illuminating ecosystems, including the people advocating for them, while connecting audiences to the importance of conservation

Cover of the Amazon Special Single-Topic October 2024 Issue of National Geographic Magazine. Photo by Thomas P . Peschak/National Geographic.

Award-winning photographer and National Geographic Explorer T homas P. Peschak will receive the National Geographic Society’s 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling for his long legacy of conservation storytelling at National Geographic and beyond.

The award — named for the writer and photographer Eliza Scidmore, the first woman elected to the Society’s Board of Trustees in 1892 — recognizes individuals whose work focuses on immersive storytelling to advance our understanding of the environmental and conservation issues we face, with the ultimate goal of supporting societies in making the best decisions for a healthier planet.

While Peschak began his career training as a marine biologist specializing in human-wildlife interactions, he eventually moved to photojournalism after realizing his impact on conservation could be greater through storytelling to inspire change. Now, Peschak’s accomplishments are world-renowned, with 18 Wildlife Photographer of the Year wins, seven World Press Photo Awards, and most recently, the 2024 Wildlife Photojournalist Story Award — all for his significant work documenting some of the most crucial conservation stories of our time.

Ariaú River, Brazil – A pink river dolphin cruises in the shallows of a flooded forest in Brazil’s Ariaú River. Its unique anatomy allows it to swim easily through these waters. Narrow dorsal fins, long snouts and large, flexible flippers let the mammals slip in and out of submerged branches. “They basically fly between the trees,” marine biologist Fernando Trujillo says, “following the fish.” Featured in the Special Single-Topic October 2024 Amazon Issue of National Geographic Magazine. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

“Tom’s work is rooted in a commitment to drive meaningful impact. Whether documenting vital ecosystems, the plight of at-risk species or the stories of communities, his images open our eyes to the world, make it clear what’s at stake and inspire us to act,” said Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society. “Tom’s dedication to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world defines his work, and it’s why we are deeply honored to present him with the 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling.”

Most recently, he was the lead storyteller on the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition, a multiyear series of solutions-centered science expeditions spanning the entire Amazon River Basin. Working with fellow Explorers and local communities, Peschak immersed himself in the basin for 396 days to reveal its aquatic and wetland habitats. The single-topic October issue of the National Geographic magazine was devoted entirely to Peschak’s stunning images of the Amazon Expedition. Starting with ice axes and crampons in the icy high Andes and finishing with scuba gear in the Atlantic Ocean, he created the first-of-its-kind comprehensive photographic archive of our planet’s most iconic and biodiverse river system.

Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands – A ground finch pecks at the base of a Nazca booby’s flight feathers and drinks the blood. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

To date, Peschak has photographed 20 National Geographic magazine features on various subjects, including manta rays, sea turtles, climate change in Antarctica and the global seabird crisis, the latter of which resulted from a Society grant in 2017. Seeking to address the loss of 230 million seabirds over 60 years, Peschak mined archives for images of seabird colonies in Peru taken 100 years ago and re-photographed those same locations, presenting these images side by side in an innovative multimedia display to visualize this staggering absence in the hopes of protecting this ecologically critical and unique species.

Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles Islands – Blacktip reef sharks wait for the tide to refill the lagoon at remote Aldabra Atoll. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

In addition to his extraordinary photojournalistic work, Peschak has written and photographed eight books, including “Sharks and People,” which chronicles the relationship between people and sharks around the world, and “Wild Seas,” a collection of photos taken by Peschak documenting the beauty and fragility of underwater life and wild coastlines from around the world. He has also appeared as a speaker for the National Geographic Live! series, having presented over 20 shows in 15 cities on three continents.

Mexico – A manta ray being cleaned by Clarion angelfish. Today these animals play an important role in tourism in places like Mexico’s Archipiélago de Revillagigedo Biosphere Reserve, in the Pacific Ocean about 240 miles southwest of Baja’s southern tip. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

“Photography and storytelling aren’t just about highlighting places with unique biodiversity, especially when areas like the Amazon basin are under siege every day from issues like overfishing, pollution and climate change,” said Peschak. “To capture the full scale, it’s imperative to highlight these challenges as well as the people who are facing them head-on: local communities, Indigenous peoples, researchers and other Explorers. The goal and hope with my work has always been to photograph places I love in order to help save them, so it is a true honor to receive this award and get to continue to work on important stories of conservation.”

Bahama Islands – Green sea turtles congregate near a dock in the Bahamas. © THOMAS P. PESCHAK/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

While remaining a cornerstone of storytelling work at the Society, Peschak continues to focus on marine conservation storytelling more broadly, serving as the director of storytelling for the Save our Seas Foundation — an organization he has been an integral part of for almost two decades. He is also a founding director of the Manta Trust and a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Peschak will be honoured as the 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award recipient during the annual National Geographic Society Storytellers Summit in February 2025. To learn more about Peschak and other Explorers’ work, visit our website here.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

Conservation Photography

Manta Ray Magic: Witnessing a Feeding Frenzy in the Great Barrier Reef – Photography by Aliya Siddiqi

While working at an island that’s known as “the home of the manta ray,” it’s easy for most of us staff to get jaded at seeing one or two manta rays…per day. Maybe they do a quick cruise past, or maybe a stop at the cleaning station. But when these mantas do aggregate around this small island on the Great Barrier Reef, those are the days that turn into pure magic. And it reminds us all as to why these animals are so spectacular to interact with.

Manta rays, more specifically Manta alfredi, are unique in the contrast between their large size and inquisitive behavior around humans. Despite reaching average lengths of three to five meters wingtip to wingtip, they are filter feeders and seek out the smallest creatures in the ocean to feed on. The diets of manta rays are found to consist mostly of different types of zooplankton, small creatures that range from microscopic single-celled organisms to the larvae of larger animals like crabs, octopuses, and fish. Zooplankton are heterotrophic, meaning that they obtain their energy from feeding on other organisms including phytoplankton and other zooplankton. In this photo series, all of those small dots sparkling in the photos indicate a high number of plankton.

According to scientists studying the island aggregation site, the higher biomass of zooplankton seems to be a result of “local concentration and retention processes around the island”. Though still unknown why these zooplankton blooms around the island happen, when it does become what we call “manta soup,” the foraging behaviour of the manta rays gives guests and staff some unforgettable experiences. The elasmobranchs ensure filter-feeding efficiency by looping around consistently in nutrient-dense areas. All one must do is stay in that same spot and wait for the mantas to swoop in and detour around you – though with strong currents, this is often more easily said than done. However, some days you get lucky when the weather window blesses you with no wind, high zooplankton biomass, and an influx of manta rays.

These photos come from a day like that, making it almost too easy for an amateur photographer like me to capture these charismatic animals. The mantas were swooping in and out, with some of the females displaying quite pregnant bellies. Like any aggregation site, tourism operators greatly benefit from the frequency at which these animals appear. Their docile and curious nature also makes them excellent flagship species for marine conservationists. Listed as Vulnerable to Extinction by the IUCN, these experiences with the public allow for an opportunity to discuss the challenges our oceans are facing, and why protection is of the utmost importance.

Conservation Photography

Cleaning Stations & Coastal Cruising – Under the Waves with Karim Iliya, October 2024

This is a turtle cleaning station. You can see the turtle in the back getting cleaned by a fish which eats parasites and algae off the turtle’s skin, shell, and scales. The turtle in the front is waiting its turn. This is a symbiotic relationship in which the turtles get cleaned, and the fish get a meal.

A Hawaiian green sea turtle cruises beneath the waves off the coast of Hawaii. This turtle was eating algae off the rocks, seemingly unaffected by the powerful turbulent water all around. When not eating algae, these turtles spend much of their time laying on the nearby beach .

Karim was published in National Geographic magazine for his humpback whale photography. He now leads his own trips so that others can swim with whales.

If you are interested in swimming with or photographing humpback whales, Karim guides people on small trips between August and October every year in Tonga. Visit www.dancewithwhales.com to find out more

To see more of Karim’s work, visit his website at www.karimphotography.com