Jim Nahmens specializes in marine mammal photography and the creation of educational media, with a particular affinity for the humpback whale.

Jim first became interested in whales in the mid-70's when he was involved in fund raising efforts for early save-the-whale campaigns. In the winter of 1989, Jim volunteered for a humpback whale research project in Hawaii and got his first close-up look at humpback whales. A few months later, he followed the humpbacks to Alaska. The whale watching was magnificent and the scenery was equally spectacular. Jim delighted in the irresistible challenge of trying to capture great photographs of a difficult subject and discovered his passions—humpback whales and the wilds of Alaska.

Over the next few years, he participated in a humpback whale research project in Western Australia, took whale-watching trips to Baja, Mexico, and returned to Alaska. Jim began to explore how he could use his photographs to inform others about marine mammals. Nature’s Spirit Photography was born in 1992 with the aim of designing informative products and exhibits that provide an inspiration for others to learn more and care about marine mammals.

Jim called on his design talents, developing several unique and informative products. Since then, his photos have appeared in books, magazines, and calendars and have been used in the US and Europe for advertising campaigns, interpretive exhibits, store displays, products, and web sites. Jim is passionate about studying scientific publications and talking with researchers about their work. He strives to incorporate into his work information on recent discoveries and translate difficult scientific terms into easy to understand information.