Stunning Photos Showcase Nature’s Unforgettable Resilience

A full belly—if you look closely, you can see the tentacles of the deep-sea squid she recently devoured hanging from her mouth.

This photo, titled The Interrupted Bounty, is one of many captured by photographer Paul Nicklen and showcased at the Photo Fair. It exudes a sense of peace, yet Nicklen experienced a whirlwind of emotions while filming it in Dominica in 2019.

“Even while my lungs ached and my mind screamed to surface just 5 meters away, I had to calm myself,” he reflects. “In that moment, my focus shifted to breathing, framing, and floating. The fear was present, but I remained centered.”

As he grounded himself, a feeling of “quiet adoration” washed over him. “It brought a certain joy, aligned with their rhythm for a while,” Nicklen recalls. “Over time, that joy has shifted into a heavier contemplation. I’m reflecting on the risks that whales now face—ocean pollution, ship strikes, entrapment in nets, and rising sea temperatures. Looking back at these images reveals lines that may not endure unless changes occur. Still, I feel fortunate. I’m honored to share their stories.”

Photo London will take place at Somerset House from May 15th to 18th. Nicklen’s work is presented by Hilton Contemporary, which also features a photograph by marine biologist Christina Mittermeyer, showcasing her striking image from Madagascar in 2008: Mandare’s Washing. It depicts brightly colored clothing drying on cracked earth, with two emaciated cows nearby on a dry stretch of the Mandare River.

Seventeen years later, Mittermeier reflects on the tumultuous feelings she experienced while taking those shots. “It wasn’t just the illness, but also the tropical fever, combined with a sense of guilt. Not guilt for being there, but for leaving,” she recounts. “The village families had no escape from the drought; they lacked alternatives, no backup resources, no taps to turn on.

Today, that guilt has evolved into a profound respect for the resilience of the locals.

“I think of the elasticity of that fabric, the dust, and how survival here is stitched together with each piece of clothing, meal, and glass of water,” Mittermeier shares. “It’s a testament to drought, but also to the overarching decisions that determine who suffers and who survives.”

Below is another stunning photograph by Nicklen titled Ephemeral Palace. Captured in 2012 on the Antarctic Peninsula, it depicts a vast iceberg adrift, destined to melt as it approaches the sea.

The final shot from Nicklen, titled Meet Face to Face, features an unexpected visitor, photographed in Svalbard, Norway in 2008. He labels the encounter with “the bear in question” as a significant highlight of his career, noting he has rarely encountered the approximately 2,000 polar bears he has documented, yet he has never succumbed to panic.