Gold in Nature/Underwater / 2025 / Nature / Underwater

• Prize
  Gold in Nature/Underwater
• Photographer
  Rintaro Ukon, Japan
• Studio
  Ukphotography

n Tonga, I encountered a mother whale and her calf.
With no diving gear—only breath and stillness—I waited underwater.
The calf approached me curiously, and we shared a gaze.
In its eyes, I saw the vast ocean and felt completely embraced.
I used a fisheye lens; without it, they were simply too close to capture.
It was like a martial artist sensing the line between contact and no contact.
I passed beneath the giant fin, feeling calm rather than fear.
I knew—they saw me not as a threat, but as a friend.
Then they drifted away, leaving only silence behind.