Photographer Bryant Austin seeks out inquisitive and accepting whales. During his dives, he floats almost motionless for hours at a time, waiting for the fifty to one hundred ton subjects to come to him. During these rare and unique encounters, the whales will gently reposition their pectoral fins and flukes in order to avoid causing Bryant any harm.

Bryant’s inspiration began five years ago while diving in the Kingdom Of Tonga. He was six feet in front of a humpback whale calf when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder — he turned to face the eye of the mother. She extended her 15-foot, one-ton pectoral fin to gently let him know that she was watching him. It was at this moment that he realized what was missing in the field of whale photography: an emotional connection…mammal to mammal, species to species.

His high-resolution, life-size photographs are unbelievable. They are currently being shown in Norway and will be on exhibit in Japan in 2010, fulfilling his vision of inspiring peaceful, positive change within whaling nations.