Powerful image of whale rescue scoops prestigious award – "What we did together was bigger than a photograph" says the winner

The Nature Conservancy has revealed the winners of the 2025 Oceania Photo Contest, celebrating nature photography that highlights critical environmental challenges, amplifies conservation action, and reminds us how deeply connected we are to the natural world.

Among the thousands of striking nature images, one story rose above the rest: the rescue of a humpback whale in the Kingdom of Tonga. So, this year's Grand Prize and 1st Place in People & Nature goes to the dramatic and emotional image Tauhi, by Australian self-taught photographer Miesa Grobbelaar.

The image demonstrates how photography can move beyond documentation to reveal urgent environmental realities – and moments of profound human-nature connection.

The story behind the award-winning image

Grobbelaar says about the awarded photograph, "A day I never imagined - we answered a call about an entangled humpback whale thrashing in distress. Arriving, we saw a heavy rusted chain cutting deep into her tail.

"Diving in, we worked carefully and silently to free her. When the chain finally snapped, she paused and looked at us, as if saying thanks. It was a powerful, humbling moment, reminding me how deeply connected we are to the ocean and its creatures, and how much respect and care truly matter."

On Instagram, she adds, "What we did together was bigger than a photograph."

"I hope this image reminds us that our presence leaves a trace, whether we mean for it to or not. But when we show up with intention, with respect, and with courage, we can help.

"We can protect. We can create a world where our impact heals more than it harms - where we remember we are not separate from nature, but part of it."

The Nature Conservancy's 2025 Photo Contest received more than 3,500 entries from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands – an 87% increase from last year.

To see Grobbelaar's image and to discover other awarded photography, visit the Nature Australia website.

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