Ben Burton, A Mothers Love (ANIMALS 2025)

A Humpback Whale mother gives a helping nudge, pushing her calf to the surface for a breath in the seemingly bottomless trench off the shores of Tonga. The light rays framed the moment so beautifully that for a moment I even forgot to take a breath myself.

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