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This Breathtaking 'Whale Whisperer' Picture Just Won The 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

This Picture Is Guaranteed To Take Your Breath Away...
Elliot Wagland
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An underwater photograph of divers swimming near a humpback whale taken by Anuar Patjane Floriuk of Mexico, has won the 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest grand prize after beating over 17,000 entries.

“The photo wasn’t planned,” Floriuk said. “I was taking photos near the head of the whale, and all of a sudden she began to swim toward the rest of the diving team. The divers gave the whale and her calf space, and I just clicked at the moment when the flow and composition seemed right.” Shot near Roca Partida, an island off the western coast of Mexico, the winning photo is titled “Whale Whisperer.”

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Mr Floriuk has won an eight-day National Geographic Photo Expedition to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal for two after he took this stunning image.

This year’s contest received more than 17,000 entries from photographers around the world. There were four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments.

National Geographic Traveler Magazine Announces Winners of 2015 Photography Contest
2nd(01 of09)
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[This] gravel-crush working place remains full of dust and sand. Three gravel workmen are looking through the window glass at their working place. Chittagong, Bangladesh. (credit:Faisal Azim)
3rd(02 of09)
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Camel Ardah, as it called in Oman, is one of the traditional styles of camel racing … between two camels controlled by expert men. The faster camel is the loser … so they must be running [at] the same speed level in the same track. The main purpose of Ardah is to show the beauty and strength of the Arabian camels and the riders' skills. Ardah [is] considered one of the most risky situations, since always the camels reactions are unpredictable [and] it may get wild and jump [toward the] audience. (credit:Ahmed Al Toqi)
4th(03 of09)
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The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadveli. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the sand dunes in the distance, but the skies were still dark enough to clearly see the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. Deadveli means "dead marsh." The camelthorn trees are believed to be about 900 years old but have not decomposed because the environment is so dry. (credit:Beth McCarley)
5th(04 of09)
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Two boys are trying to catch a duck at the stream of the waterfall. Nong Khai Province, Thailand. (credit:Sarah Wouters)
6th(05 of09)
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Kushti is the traditional form of Indian wrestling. Wearing only a well-adjusted loincloth (langot), wrestlers (pelwhans) enter a pit made of clay, often mixed with salt, lemon, and ghee (clarified butter). At the end of a workout, wrestlers rest against the walls of the arena, covering their heads and bodies with earth to soak up any perspiration and avoid catching cold. This relaxation ceremony is completed with massages to soothe tired muscles and demonstrate mutual respect. (credit:Alain Schroeder)
7th(06 of09)
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The night before this photo, we tried all day to get a good photo of the endangered white rhino. Skulking through the grass carefully, trying to stay 30 feet away to be safe, didn't provide me the photo I was hoping for. In the morning, however, I woke up to all three rhinos grazing in front of me. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda. (credit:Stefane Berube)
8th(07 of09)
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A sauna at 2,800 meters high in the heart of Dolomites. Monte Lagazuoi, Cortina, eastern Italian Alps. (credit:Stefano Zardini)
9th(08 of09)
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Traditional haymaking in Poland. Many people continue to use the scythe and pitchfork to sort the hay. (credit:Bartłomiej Jurecki)
10th(09 of09)
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Romania, land of fairy tales. White frost over Pestera village. (credit:Eduard Gutescu)

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