These jaw-dropping photographs were taken while freediving with whales in Sri Lanka.
They feature stunning images of blue and sperm whales, along with French freediver Marianne Aventurier.
"We were lucky to find a huge group of sperm whales, with breaths everywhere," Aventurier said. "The goal was to go in the water with [a] large school so that they are less frightened and we could make more impressive photos."
Aventurier said: "One of our wildest and most inaccessible dreams was to swim alongside the blue whale."
"Alex made contact with a Sri Lankan tourism agency who had used one of his sperm whale pictures. We asked him about cetaceans in Sri Lanka and he strongly motivated us to come because the animals are particularly numerous this year. He found a boat and authorisation for photographs."
Up to 100 feet (30 metres) long and weighing approximately 200 tons, blue whales are the largest creatures to have ever lived on Earth.
"And the best for last: the blue whale," Aventurier said. "Finally, among those 40 hours in the sea, we were able to meet the eyes of the blue whale twice. Forty hours for a few seconds of meeting, but it was worth it. The first time the whale was in the process of probing, she was very fast firstly but, I hope this is curiosity, she went very slowly, she watched us before disappearing in the depths of the ocean."
The pics with blue whales are majestic: This gigantic creature's tongue is as heavy as an elephant! Its heart weights as much as a car!! AMAZING!!!
