Underwater photographer's 30-year journey documenting humpback whales

Underwater photographer Chang Namon, right, and a humpback whale / Courtesy of Lotte World Adventure

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Considered Korea's first underwater photographer, Chang Namon has shot a number of impressive photo series of humpback whales over nearly 30 years. The travel restrictions for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic have stopped him from visiting his favorite waters, but he has been training underwater in Goseong County, Gangwon Province, to build the strength to resume his photographic journey.

"I plan to resume filming whales next February. This time, I want to film sperm whales because I feel like I've taken enough photos of humpback whales. To document them, I need to go to Sri Lanka or the Dominican Republic," the 72-year-old photographer said during an interview with The Korea Times, Monday.

Korea's first underwater photographer Chang Namon / Courtesy of Chang Namon

Chang's connection with humpback whales began in 1992 when he had the opportunity to film Okinawa's underwater landscapes as a photojournalist for the Joongang Ilbo daily newspaper. He recalled that a boat operator suggested that they sail to Zamami Island, home of wintering humpback whales. Whales are known to breed and raise their calves in the warm waters around Zamami Island from late December to early April.

"I was assigned to cover Okinawa's stunning sea on the occasion of Asiana Airlines' launch of its Incheon-Okinawa flights. I've always loved being in the water, and I had already acquired certifications for scuba diving and underwater photography. So it wasn't a difficult task. I still cannot forget making eye contact with a humpback whale. It was surreal," he said.

However, that experience alone wasn't what led him on a decades-long journey documenting the species. In fact, his memory of the humpback whales seemed like a one-day wonder, as he became busy working as a war correspondent later on. After covering the 1992 Gulf War, he also reported on the Somalian and Rwandan civil wars.

Returning home from conflict zones, Chang became a Cheong Wa Dae correspondent. However, he resigned in 1997. "I was pretty tired of doing the same work continuously. It was all pretty dull really," he said.

It was in 1999 when he was in the Bahamas shooting wildlife dolphins and his colleague, a former photojournalist from Japan's Sankei Shimbun, suggested that they travel to Tonga together to film humpback whales. He became fascinated with the gigantic creatures due to their gentle nature and sheer size. "My second contact with affable marine mammals confirmed my love and appreciation for the 'gentle giants,'" he said.

A photo of a humpback whale mother-calf pair / Courtesy of Chang Namon

Chang explained that when shooting wildlife, there are no assurances that humpback whales will show up and allow humans into their space.

"I was most impressed by the relationship between humpback whale mothers and calves. Once the calf is born, the mother burns her own fat to feed her baby for about four months to prepare for their long trip back to cold waters. They travel around 6,500 kilometers to find feeding grounds in Antarctica. During the seasonal migration, mothers are very protective of their babies," he said.

According to him, humpback whales usually gather in Tonga closer to the equator from July to October. That's when photographers swim underwater to film mother-calf pairs. Encounters may last from a few minutes to a few hours.

"The mother whale swims protectively alongside her curious calf, and it is with her permission that I slide gently into the water," he said. "There are obvious signs if the whales are comfortable, and I don't approach them until it is evident that they are happy for me to be in the water with them."

Asked about any dangerous moments such as bumping into whales' flippers, he said, "Their eyes follow you as they move and point their pectoral fins down to ensure they don't bump you as they pass. They're very gentle and smart."

Instead, the photographer shared an account of surviving sepsis after diving deep into Pit Cenote in Mexico around 2013. "My health condition has never been the same since that incident," he said.

Underwater photographer Chang Namon, bottom, and a humpback whale / Courtesy of Lotte World Adventure

Chang's affection for humpback whales has led him to publish three books about the marine mammals: "Mare," "Postcard from the Sea" and "Moving Island." He is currently running a multi-sensory media art exhibition called "Flying Whales," showcasing some 30 photographs of humpback whales. It was organized by Seoul Sky Observatory at Lotte World Tower in Seoul in celebration of its fifth anniversary.

He said capturing his series of photos pushed him to his limits. He dives 10 meters below the surface of the ocean without carrying an oxygen tank because they make loud noises in the water and scare off whales. "People think I enjoy taking risks because I've worked as a war correspondent and spent the majority of my time traveling to other parts of the world to swim with humpback whales. But I'm not much of a risk-taker. I just have no other interests or hobbies," he said.

A humpback whale swims up to the surface to breathe. Courtesy of Chang Namon

Asked if there are any other species he'd like to document in the future, Chang said he is currently working on another major project filming sperm whales. "I think I've shot enough of underwater animals. As I get older, going into the cold water isn't fun anymore. After taking photos of sperm whales, I'm thinking of concentrating on land photography," he said.

Chang's series are rendered in black and white. Asked what influenced this aesthetic decision, the veteran photographer said, "I wanted to avoid distractions as much as possible and encourage viewers' focus to be drawn directly to the subject. Black and white also has a sense of timelessness to it."