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Matt Walch

@mattwalch

265

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7K

followers

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🏝Tahiti based Photographer.
🌊 NFT creator / collector.
🌄 Exhibited in Miami, New York, Las Vegas...

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Slappy!

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#whales #whale #surf #whalewatching #nature #dolphins #wildlife #sea #humpbackwhale #marinelife #picoftheday #instagood #animals #whalewatch #whalesofinstagram #photography #marinemammals #cetacean #oceanlife #ocean #surfspirit #wildlifephotography #humpbackwhales #travel #humpback #savethewhales #underwater #cetacean #frenchpolynesia #nft taken in French Polynesia by @mattwalch

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3 years ago

The light does its magic underwater as a mother and her calf come up to the surface…

To me, conservation is about recognizing and protecting that beauty in our world. The saddest thing I could think of is us as being the last generations to be able to witness this kind of moments.

You don’t have to be rich to act.

@100fortheocean

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#whales #whale #surf #whalewatching #nature #dolphins #wildlife #sea #humpbackwhale #marinelife #picoftheday #instagood #animals #whalewatch #whalesofinstagram #photography #marinemammals #cetacean #oceanlife #ocean #surfspirit #wildlifephotography #humpbackwhales #travel #humpback #savethewhales #underwater #cetacean #frenchpolynesia #nft taken in French Polynesia by @mattwalch

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2 years ago

The photo I took on the morning of my 40th birthday, two years ago…

Somewhere on the east coast of Tahiti.

Still a favorite!

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#whales #whale #surf #whalewatching #nature #dolphins #wildlife #sea #humpbackwhale #marinelife #picoftheday #instagood #animals #whalewatch #whalesofinstagram #photography #marinemammals #cetacean #oceanlife #ocean #surfspirit #wildlifephotography #humpbackwhales #travel #humpback #savethewhales #underwater #cetacean #frenchpolynesia #nft taken in French Polynesia by @mattwalch

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2 years ago

Sometimes, words are unnecessary.

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#polarbears #wildlife #blackandwhitephotography #arctic #globalwarming taken in The Arctic by @mattwalch

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4 months ago

Seeing two male polar bears sparring is quite the reminder of how powerful these creatures are!
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#polarbears #arctic #canada #wildlife #blackandwhitephotography taken in The Arctic by @mattwalch

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4 months ago

Under an Arctic sky…

A mother and her cub take some rest at the end of the day.

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#arctic #polarbears #WildlifePhotography #polarbear #cubs taken in The Arctic by @mattwalch

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4 months ago

The serene beauty of sunlight shining beneath the waves…

This is what magic feels like.
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#ocean #whalewatching #whales #nature #sea by @mattwalch

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5 months ago

You will find me here, on this thin line that separates dreams from reality…

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#ocean #whalewatching #whales #nature #sea by @mattwalch

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5 months ago

In Inuit mythology and worldview, Nanook isn’t just an animal. It’s a powerful, almost human-like being: wise, mighty, and revered as the master or guardian spirit of all polar bears.

Hunters respected Nanook deeply because they believed he decided whether a hunt would succeed or fail. If hunters followed proper rituals, showed respect (like not wasting any part of the bear and honoring its spirit after a kill), Nanook might allow himself to be taken. He’s the arbiter of hunting success: the ultimate judge of whether a hunter is worthy.

Nanook is seen as “almost man”: intelligent, strong, and sometimes able to take human form (or vice versa: humans and bears with interchangeable spirits in some lore).

Polar bears were (and in many communities still are) central to survival, so Nanook embodies the profound connection between people and the Arctic environment: respect, balance, and reciprocity.

There are various tales involving Nanook, like stories of great hunts, shape-shifting bears, or encounters where the bear chooses its fate. Some describe specific legendary bears (like the “weasel bear” in oral histories), or Nanook as a protector, a shamanic helper.

This reverence ties directly into why this image is so intense; a commanding gaze that feels so powerful. It’s probably the kind of presence that inspired awe in Inuit stories.

That apex predator stare captures what they’ve long seen in Nanook: not just a bear, but a sovereign force of the ice.

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#arctic #polarbears #WildlifePhotography #polarbear #cubs taken in Arctic Circle by @mattwalch

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5 months ago

Sometimes my mind wander back…

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#polarbear #photography #wildlife #blackandwhite taken in Arctic Circle by @mattwalch

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5 months ago

Noticed the little fellow in the back? ;)

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#humpbackwhale #underwater #photography #ocean #whales taken in French Polynesia by @mattwalch

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6 months ago

A beautiful private moment, away from the crowd…

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#whales #whale #photography #whalewatching #nature taken in French Polynesia by @mattwalch

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6 months ago