A picture of two penguins received the Ocean Photograph Award from Oceanographic Magazine. The heartwarming photo shows two penguins hugging while standing on the rock and looking at the Melbourne lights. Upon request, the photographer of this award-winning picture, Tobias Baumgaertner was informed that both penguins had recently lost their partners and were often seen comforting the other.
Tobias won the Community Choice Award for this photo, as reported by BBC.
The photographer is from Germany and clicked on this picture in Melbourne’s St. Kilda, Australia. St. Kilda, a suburb by the sea, is known for its tiny penguins that are 33 cm tall.
Around 1,400 of these little penguins, which are scientifically named, live in the region Eudyptula minor. The area is managed by a non-profit organization called Earthcare St Kilda. These penguins have been the subject of this study since 1986.
Tobias had clicked on this picture almost a year and a half ago. He shared that image again on his Instagram handle and urged people to vote for his image for the Community Choice Award when he was shortlisted for it.
When he posted the picture in March 2020, Tobias shared that he was told that the white penguin in the picture was an elderly widowed woman who recently lost her partner. The younger male penguin who was comforting her had recently lost his partner as well.
The German photographer announced that he had stayed there three nights before he could take this picture. The penguins were constantly moving and he wasn’t allowed to use lights, but Tobias said: “I was lucky in a beautiful moment.”
The heartwarming picture received several positive comments when Tobias asked people to vote for the picture. One person said, “This picture and the story behind it brought me peace and relief during the pandemic. Good luck! “Another commenter called it” Cutest Photo Ever, “while one person said,” This is my all-time favorite. “
The photographer mostly clicks on pictures of the wildlife. He has also worked with the indigenous communities of Australia. Tobias was studying marine science when he was just graduating.
The Ocean Community Choice Award that Tobias received is given to the popular submission. There will be six photos that will be shortlisted for the award and will be selected from submissions in all of the other five categories.