Wildlife / Animals nominee

All sunlight is lost at 3,300 feet at the fringe of two pelagic zones: the Twilight Zone and the Midnight Zone. In pure darkness, there may seem to be nothing.

But there is life.

Massive mollusks, reaching over 40 feet in length, call these inhospitable waters home. And it’s these giant squid that find themselves on the unfortunate side of this tale. Their hunters—the largest predators on the planet—traverse the blackness to find their next meal.

Sperm whales begin clicking as they descend from the surface. As light fades, pressure builds, and their lungs collapse to a fraction of their volume at the surface as they dive into the abyss. Their clicks increase in frequency as they home in on their prey. They were built for this environment, and for the battle that ensues.

The hunters return to our domain for air and to rest. If it weren’t for the occasional piece of squid hanging from their mouths or the scars on their heads, we would be blissfully unaware of what unfolds in the darkness.
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In this alien world below where the clock always reads midnight, much remains confined to our imagination.

Eric Kanigan is a Canadian-American photographer and storyteller who is driven to visit remote corners of the globe to highlight commonalities where others might initially perceive differences.

A degree in Biology solidified his affinity for wildlife and the natural world. However, it was a specific focus in ecology that left the largest impression. The core premise that organisms and species are intertwined, no matter how disparate in form and function, inspires much of his work today.

Eric brings his audience with him above and below the surface to bear witness to some of the world’s most striking scenes and beings. He seeks images with the intent to bring them to life as physical prints—a permanence and longevity he creates with the finished piece, but more importantly, wants to observe in the subjects through conservation and action. Through his artwork and writing, Eric ventures beyond a simple image—not to lecture, but to inspire individuals to develop their own thoughts on the environmental, social, and ethical questions that we face today.

He hopes that others might recognize some of themselves in the people and the animals with whom we are fortunate to share our planet.