Jono Allen has one of those types of jobs the rest of us can only dream of. He is employed as an underwater photographer, snapping some of the most stunning photos of the creatures of the deep. He’s spent time with whales, sharks, and everything else, collecting some wild stories as well as his photographs.
His approach to his work is very hands-on. Rather than being the unnoticed observer, Allen takes on a more involved role. He has spoken to People about some of his more intimate interactions with various animals.
“I have been bumped, rolled, whacked over, cuddled by whales, I’ve had whales follow me to the boat,” he told the outlet. “Humpbacks have the longest appendages; they have these massive fins. We have these long arms — and so when we spin underwater, throw our arms around and start dancing underwater, that’s their play language that they have.”
He has often moved and danced with a humpback whale. They’re peaceful and docile for the most part, and Allen feels his connection to them is remarkably special. “They start spinning with you, and then you start spinning back with them, and you keep doing this little dance off together — and then eventually, you’ll see them just click.” It’s these unique moments that he snaps his remarkable pictures.
Humpback Whale Helps Diver Like It’s Own Baby
Looking back, Allen has noted one or two times a whale or shark has gotten a little too close. One whale in particular started treating him like he was one of their young, pushing him up to the surface.
“I was swimming in the water and this mother humpback saw me and thought that was something wrong, and she came over to me and started trying to lift me up out of the water so I could breathe,” he recalled. “When their calves are born, they can’t swim, so they lift them up to breathe.”
Throughout his career, he has shot many incredible photographs of wildlife, capturing them in a completely unique and personal way. The images he has had the luck and skill to take show another side of the animals that is so rarely seen.