Gabriel Barathieu
Mother of the sea
Mayotte, France
Category - Reasons for Hope
A word from the photographer: “On the verge of extinction in the 1950s, there were only 450 individuals left of the humback whale species. But thanks to protective measures, the humpback whale population is increasing steadily, by 8% each year. This clearly shows that it is possible to preserve a species when measures are taken at an international level. In this photograph, we see a mother whale carrying her calf on her snout, as if she wanted to introduce it to me.”