Lennox whale photo wins Craig Parry global award

OCEAN and wildlife photographer Craig Parry has won a prestigious international award for his image of a stranded humpback whale at Lennox Head.

The Lennox Head resident took out first place in the Human Connection: People and Planet Ocean category at the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards in London.

The competition drew around 15,000 entries across multiple divisions.

Parry’s winning photograph was taken in 2023 and documented the community’s effort to rescue a 30-tonne humpback whale stranded on Seven Mile Beach.

He said the photo captured the unity and compassion shown by volunteers and professionals during the 15-hour rescue attempt.

“International awards are obviously really popular and it’s not something you expect to win,” Parry said.

“I never thought documenting that would end up with me winning an international award, it’s pretty special.

“It was an all-day thing, and it was incredible to watch how the community came together over so many hours.

“There were multiple agencies involved and most of the people were volunteers.”

Rescuers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sea World, local vets and the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) attempted to refloat the whale. Despite their efforts, the animal could not be saved.

The photograph will be on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, with Parry to be the special guest at a gala dinner.

Parry previously won an international award in 2016 and finished second at the Photographer of the Year Awards two years ago with a penguin shot.

He also won the Wildlife category of the Alpha Awards this year with his photo Curiosity in Antarctica, featuring a leopard seal in icy waters.

“It was a difficult shot; I didn’t think the leopard seal would come up to our boat like it did,” Parry said.

“It must have heard the clicking of my camera and it felt like it was looking right at me.

“Other than the orca, they’re one of the most dominant predators down there.

“It was another incredible trip, I always wanted to be a professional photographer, and I’ve been lucky to have the lifestyle I do.”

Parry has recently worked with Tourism Australia and spent most of last year creating an online photography workshop.