By Margherita Cole on December 29, 2020
Two widowed penguins seemingly comfort one another as they gaze upon Melbourne’s lights. St Kilda, Australia. Tobias Baumgaertner, Finalist Community Choice Award
In 2019, photographer Tobias Baumgaertner snapped a romantic shot of two widowed penguins overlooking a pier in Melbourne, Australia. He shared the photograph on his Instagram during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to help lift people s spirits and it quickly went viral, garnering thousands of likes, comments, and shares. So, it s only fitting that Baumgaertner s photo, which was nominated for the Community Choice Award in the 2020 Ocean Photography Awards, won the title by popular vote.