JANUARY 2023 SPEAKER – VANESSA MIGNON

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IN THE WORLD OF GIANTS

With Vanessa Mignon
Vanessa will talk about her experience with whales and why she thinks they are special in general. She will then focus on the four species that she knows best – humpbacks, dwarf minke, sperm whales and southern right whales – and what is unique to them. She will then share her tips to maximize chances of good and respectful encounters, along with photography tips. Vanessa will be presenting via Zoom. There is NO in-person meeting this month.

 

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Vanessa is an award-winning wildlife photographer and trip leader based in Australia. She has been organizing and guiding small group trips for close to 15 years all over the world. One of her main focuses is conservation and she hopes her photography and experience sharing it can inspire others, increase people’s awareness of how diverse and beautiful nature is, and how essential it is to protect it.

She regularly donates pictures to support Wildlife organizations in their conservation work, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Humane Society International, Australian Marine Conservation Society, and Whale Dolphin Conservation. She was awarded the 2015 IFAW Animal Action Award – Marine Photographer of the Year in recognition of her efforts to promote conservation and raise awareness.

She has a deep and genuine fascination for marine mammals, especially cetaceans. Her first encounter was with humpback whales in 2007, and since then she has been fortunate to swim with several cetacean species and learn about them. She loves how charismatic they are, and how each individual has its own personality. She is also fascinated by their resilience, and by how little we still know about them.