Ben Burton, The Mother & Calf (ANIMAL 2025)

The bond between a humpback mother and calf is difficult to do justice with just words. These images were shot in one of the deep trenches surrounding Tonga with ambient light, where I patiently waited near the surface, shooting wide and steady as their comfort grew and distance from us reduced.

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