Kerry man's photo of whale recognised by wildlife contest

An Irish marine biologist has been Highly Commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition.

Seán O'Callaghan, from Killarney, Co Kerry, submitted one of 100 images selected from over 65,000 entries for special recognition.

His entry, entitled: 'Frozen in Time', was highly commended in the Oceans – The Bigger Picture category.

The image depicts a dead humpback whale, which had died after becoming ensnared in a discarded fishing-line, floating close to the coast of Andenes, on Andøya Island in northern Norway.

Mr O'Callaghan took the photograph while leading a whale-watching trip north of the Arctic Circle.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, now in its 62nd year, aims to celebrate photography that raises awareness of environmental issues.

The competition described Mr O'Callaghan's entry as "a sobering example of the impact of discarded fishing gear on whales".

This year’s competition received a record-breaking 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories.

Mr O'Callaghan's entry will be displayed alongside 99 other selected images, including category winners and highly commended images, at the Natural History Museum in London until 11 July 2027.