Honorable Mention / 2024 / Special / Others “Special”

• Photographer
  Glen Serbin, United States

This image is an interesting interaction of a mother, a boy and the strange captivity that this Beluga whale endures, day in and day out.

The Bulega whale's natural habitat is the arctic and sub-arctic ocean, not an aquarium located in Mystic Connecticut.

Though not officially listed as an endangered mammal, these whales are now listed as protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Beluga whales are social animals that thrive in the wild. Captivity can be very harmful to their health and is often illegal.