Wildlife / Animals nominee

Sperm whales form tightly knit matrilineal units of around ten members. Socialization events, like the one captured here, are not often witnessed. Grandmothers, mothers, and calves of a single unit or even multiple units take pause from their travel to congregate at the surface. They twirl their massive bodies, circle the other members of the units, bob their heads up and down and jam into the pile to rub against one another, clicking constantly as they communicate.

No matter how many times I return to Dominica, I probably won’t have a day like this again. It was the novelty of the encounter but also the nature of it. You always hope for an engaged subject, but there are some moments where interactions among the animals are far more powerful than an animal engaging with you. The whales put on this spectacular display—not to impress, but to connect.

These bonds being built are ones that will last the rest of their lives.

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.