Each winter, Japanese macaques congregate at the Jigokudani hot spring to play and socialise in the comfort of the Japanese Onsen. During my visit to photograph the ‘snow monkeys’, I found one macaque in particular, that stood out from the rest of the troop. It took a particular interest in me and when my lens pointed towards it. It gave me an intense stare but at no time displayed any aggression. There was a standoff between us for a few minutes, before it wandered off to join the rest of the monkeys in the water.
Mok Wai Hoe is a photo enthusiast with a special interest in underwater photography and marine life. A member of Ocean Artists Society, he has been placed in photography competitions, such as Underwater Photographer of the Year, Sony World Photography Award and Ocean Geographic Photos of the Year, with his most notable accolade being the Master of Ocean Geographic Competition Wyland Award. His images have appeared in NatGeo online, Ocean Geographic, with a special feature of "OGX Emerging Pro Wildlife Photographer". In 2018, Mok was named Singapore Nature Photographer of the Year.
Awards https://www.mokwaihoe.com/about
