The Lensic is pleased to present an evening of storytelling and magnificent images from the deep with Charles “Flip” Nicklin, the world’s premier whale photographer. National Geographic’s longtime ‘whale guy,’ Flip has served as the lead whale photographer and marine mammal specialist for the National Geographic Society, which has featured his photos and audio tracks of humpback and killer whales in numerous magazines and television specials since 1976.

$100.00 per couple tickets include a pre event reception in the Sunset room at the Eldorado hotel from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m with Filp Nicklin.

It’s no exaggeration to say that his photos, published worldwide, have virtually defined these graceful, powerful creatures in the mind of the general public—even as they helped open new ground in the field of marine mammalogy. Among Giants is the first major collection of his work.

Flip’s career had an unusual start. It all began in 1965, when his father, Chuck, a dive shop owner, helped to rescue a Bryde’s Whale that had been caught in an anchor line. A photo was taken of Chuck astride the whale just before its release from the line. The photo was carried by wire services around the world, and the event made an impression on the young Flip.

Inspired by both photography and diving, Flip bummed around until he got a chance to work as an assistant with humpback-whale research in Maui. There he got an iconic photograph of a male whale head down in the water, singing, and he was on his way.

Humpbacks, narwhals, sperm whales, orcas—these and countless other giants of the ocean parade through Among Giants, spouting, breaching, singing, and raising their young. Nicklin’s photographs bring us so completely into the underwater world of whales that we can’t help but feel awe, while the winning, personal accounts of his adventures remind us of what it’s like to be a lone diver sharing their sea.

“Flip Nicklin’s work reaches us on a profound level: his images inspire. They make us feel hopeful, passionate, engaged, transported, alive. He takes us under the surface with him, into a universe where we have front row seats to the most magical and wonderful giants on our planet, allowing us to witness an otherwise unimaginable marine world. With his talent and vision, Flip singlehandedly took underwater photography—and marine mammal photojournalism in general—to an entirely new level. Flip is, simply, the best of the very best.” -- Paul Nicklen, photographer and author of Polar Obsession.

“In Among Giants, Flip Nicklin's fabulous photographs and his captivating text combine to give us a true feeling for the animals of the interface between land and water (and sometimes ice). The world of whales is brought into focus by the world's best cetacean photographer, and his deeply personal story expresses his love and admiration for these marvelous and mysterious creatures. You will hold your breath as you descend into the depths with dolphins, belugas, sperm whales, and humpbacks, and exhale with sheer delight at the experience of diving with Flip and his enchanting companions.” -- Richard Ellis, author of The Great Sperm Whale