Narwhals by Paul Nicklen

Narwhals

Nature, second prize stories

2006

A pod of male narwhal rests in a melt-hole in the spring sea ice. Tusks of the narwhal whale were once sold as unicorn horns and were immensely valuable. Today narwhal ivory can still fetch large sums and the whales are legally hunted by some Inuit groups. Hunters shoot the whales for their ivory and some skin, but much of the meat goes to waste. Two narwhals surface to breathe. After long dives they are desperate for air. Narwhal tusks fetch large sums, and the whales are legally hunted by some Inuit groups. The whales must be killed as they surface for air, while their lungs are full. Otherwise they will sink into the ocean. The replacement of traditional weapons by rifles has resulted in many more narwhal being killed or wounded than being retrieved.

Commissioned by: National Geographic

Photo Credit: Paul Nicklen

As a young boy, Paul Nicklen, a Canadian-born polar specialist and marine biologist, moved to Baffin Island and spent his childhood among the Inuit people. From them he learned the love of nature, the understanding of icy ecosystems, and the survival skills that have helped him to become one of the most successful wildlife and nature photojournalists.

As an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine, Nicklen has produced 16 stories covering a variety of issues related to conservation and natural history—from the slaughter of narwhals to salmon farming to the importance of sea ice and polar ecosystems in this new climate era. Despite the personal peril he often faces while working in some of the planet’s most remote and harsh environments, Nicklen travels constantly in search of meaningful stories that can help touch people’s emotions and help the public connect with Earth’s marine and polar realms.

Nicklen has received more than 20 international awards, six of which were from World Press Photo, including the first prize for nature stories in 2010; three with Pictures of the Year International; and ten with BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year including the grand prize awarded to him in 2012. In 2012, the National Resources Defense Council awarded him the first Biogems Visionary Award, and he also received the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from his alma mater, the University of Victoria.