Rare white humpback whale calf wins 2026 nature photography's top prize

A stunning photograph of a rare white humpback whale calf and its mother has won the top prize at the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards. The image, captured by Jono Allen, also highlights the growing challenges faced by marine life as climate change alters migration patterns.

The winning shot features Mãhina, an albino humpback calf first seen in 2024 near Vava'u, Tonga. Albinism in humpbacks is exceptionally rare, with estimates suggesting only one in 40,000 calves is born with the condition. Allen received a $1,000 cash prize for the photograph, which stood out among entries from 51 countries.

Humpback whales are now migrating weeks earlier than in past decades due to warming waters in the Southern Ocean. This shift disrupts their feeding cycles, as changing temperatures affect food availability. Meanwhile, humpback populations have rebounded significantly, reaching around 135,000 by 2018, leading the IUCN Red List to classify them as a species of 'least concern'.

Other winners in the competition included a female gorilla watching a butterfly, a Namaqua chameleon enduring a sandstorm, and a polar bear inspecting discarded electronics. The awards coincide with growing concerns over climate impacts on marine species. Studies by the International Whaling Commission reveal that sperm whales, for instance, have moved their migration routes northward since the 1980s, favouring subtropical waters over traditional Antarctic feeding grounds.

The event was supported by Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative, which collaborates with CNN to promote sustainability education. Satellite tracking data up to 2025 confirms these shifts, showing whales increasingly overwintering near southern Australia, New Zealand's subantarctic islands, and the eastern tropical Pacific.

The 2026 awards draw attention to both the beauty and fragility of marine ecosystems. With humpback numbers recovering but migration patterns changing, the images serve as a reminder of ongoing environmental shifts. The partnership between conservation efforts and global photography competitions helps raise awareness of these critical issues.