Hope … it’s what we all hang onto when times seem desperate.
During 2025 we worked with CNN on Rolex’s Call to Earth series that looks to tell inspiring stories relating to our planet and what is being done to save it.
For the multi-part segment that looked at the power of photography to inspire, one of my focuses was on the charismatic and athletic humpback whale.
This is a species that was nearly wiped out by the end of the industrial whaling era in the 1960’s, but thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, its population is rebounding. In a way, these whales have become the poster child for what can be achieved if we give nature a chance.
Subsequent to the protection of whales, we have learnt how important their natural processes are to fertilizing the ocean, and in turn how the phytoplankton that feeds off the whales’ nutrients, produces 50% of the world’s oxygen.
Can you imagine we had wiped the Humpback whales out before we had ever learnt this?
During the filming of this Call to Earth episode, I captured this image one morning not far off the beautiful coastline of Cape Town, South Africa.
On this day the sky was moody, the sea slightly ruffled and the air full of promise as a sub-adult humpback whale showed signs of energetic exuberance.
Sensing the potential of the canvas in front of me I chose the use of a wide-angle lens to bring in the whole scene rather than capturing just a snapshot of it.
Suddenly the whale started to breach, and Monique and I quickly positioned our boat in the hopes that we might be able to bring all the artistic ingredients on offer together. It is never an exact science to do this as the whale moves in different directions between breaches. Added to this, it could easily breach away from you, rather than towards you. Quite simply you need to best predict what may happen and then roll the dice.
The whale, however, was in a grand mood and it was almost as if it was celebrating its species’ second chance. Time after time, against gorgeous shafts of light, the huge ballerina spun in the air … simply magnificent!
The scene captured truly was a Call to Earth. The message being – where there is life, there is always hope. We just need to give our planet a chance to breathe.
Available Sizes
Exhibition: 173 cm x 115 cm (68” x 45”)
Large: 146 cm x 98cm (57.5” x 38.5”)
Classic: 118 cm x 79cm (46.5” x 31”)
Available Editions
Exhibition: 12
Large: 12
Classic: 12
