Haunting pictures of an underwater whale graveyard are doing rounds on the internet. The pictures were captured by a Swedish Photographer named Alex Dawson who won first prize in Scuba Diving's 2022 Underwater Photo Contest Wide Angle category, said a report from Newsweek.
Mr Dawson took to Twitter on Wednesday to share few photographs of the whale graveyard he captured. While sharing the photographs, he wrote, "I'm very honored that Scuba Diving Magazine choose my image as a winner of 2022 in the wide-angle category."
"Last but not least another image also got awarded with an honorable mention. And a big thank you for the first prize onboard the luxurious Red Sea Aggressor III in 2023," Mr Dawson further wrote.
Mr Dawson told Newsweek, "When I capture images I want to create 'I wish I was there' feelings. That's my mantra."
The image shows Mr Dawson and his companion Anna Von Boetticher under three feet of packed ice in the bay of Tasiilaq, in Greenland. The duo swam among almost 20 whale carcasses to capture the winning shot, reported Newsweek.
The post has received over 43,000 likes and more than 6,000 retweets since being shared. Numerous users have praised and congratulated the photographer for such an amazing shot in the post's comment area.
"Wow these are amazing," wrote a user.
Another commented, "Award and more than deserved mention. Congratulations!!"
According to Newsweek, the bay of Tasiilaq is locally known as flenseplassen that generally means 'skinning grounds'. The local Inuit hunters gather whale's corpses and strip them down to the bare bones. They draw the remaining material back into the ocean during high tide.
"Usually, to see whale bones like this you would need a submarine," Mr Dawson further said. But in Greenland, they are barely touched and are just 15 to 20 feet below the surface.
He spent nearly an hour swimming beneath the ice to get the shot, changing breathing apparatuses as his breath condensed in their valves. After finishing the dive, he told. Newsweek, "Cold doesn't give me any fear."
