Mother and calf southern right whales underwater, swimming over sandy shallow bottom.
Portrait of a Southern Right Whale Underwater, Eubalaena australis. This particular right whale exhibits a beautiful mottled pattern on its sides.
White southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis. About five per cent of southern right whales are born white due to a condition known as grey morphism and will gradually turn dark as they age. They are not albino (which is a complete lack of pigmentation). Sometimes referred to as ""brindled"", the white coloration is a recessive genetic trait and only lasts a few months. Typically, but not always, white calves will become much darker as they mature but will still somewhat lighter than normal even as adults.
Mother and calf southern right whales underwater. The calf swims close to its mother but, if the mother is accepting, the calf will be allowed to come close to the photographer and check him out.
Mother and calf southern right whales underwater. The calf swims close to its mother but, if the mother is accepting, the calf will be allowed to come close to the photographer and check him out.
Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale eyeballing the camera up close, Eubalaena australis. Whale lice can be seen clearly in the folds and crevices around the whales eye and lip groove.
Mother and calf southern right whales are seen here as part of a larger courtship group, with adult males interested in mating with the mother. The calf has no choice but to stay by her mother's side during the courting activities.
Mother and calf southern right whales underwater. The calf swims close to its mother but, if the mother is accepting, the calf will be allowed to come close to the photographer and check him out.
Southern right whale eyeballing the camera up close, Eubalaena australis. Whale lice can be seen clearly in the folds and crevices around the whales eye and lip groove.
Courting pair of southern right whales underwater, Eubalaena australis. In this image, the male is below and inverted (belly up) and the female is at the surface. While the posture in this photo isn't quite mating, it is a courting behavior that often precedes mating.
Male and female southern right whales mating underwater, Eubalaena australis. The male positions himself below the female and turns upside down, so the two whales are belly-to-belly and can mate. Sand has been stirred up by the courtship activities and the water is turbid.
Breaching southern right whale, Eubalaena australis, Patagonia
Southern right whale mother and calf, aerial photo, Eubalaena australis
White southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis. About five per cent of southern right whales are born white due to a condition known as grey morphism and will gradually turn dark as they age. They are not albino (which is a complete lack of pigmentation). Sometimes referred to as ""brindled"", the white coloration is a recessive genetic trait and only lasts a few months. Typically, but not always, white calves will become much darker as they mature but will still somewhat lighter than normal even as adults.
Courting pair of southern right whales underwater, Eubalaena australis. While the posture in this photo isn't quite mating, it is a courting behavior that often precedes mating. The male is below, upside down and trying to access the female belly-to-belly. However, the female does not want to mate, so she has positioned herself upside down at the surface so that the males in the courting group cannot reach her genital slit.
Southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis
Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Portrait of a Southern Right Whale Underwater, Eubalaena australis. This particular right whale exhibits a beautiful mottled pattern on its sides.
Southern right whale mother and calf, aerial photo, Eubalaena australis
Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Patagonia
Southern right whale raises its fluke tail out of the water prior to diving.
Seagull picks skin off a southern right whale, leaving a lesion that may become infected and which scientists have shown to be stressful to young calves.
Whale hair on the rostrum and chin of a southern right whale, sidelit by the setting sun. These individual hairs provide sensor information to the whale as it swims through ocean currents or touches the ocean bottom.
Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Mating pair of southern right whales underwater (on left), Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Ten southern right whales very close to shore, including four calves and a rare white calf, people watching from the beach, Playa El Doradillo, aerial photo, Patagonia, Argentina
Southern right whale breaching, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis
Southern right whale mother and calf, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Courtship group of six Southern right whales, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Aerial view of mother and white calf, Southern right whale, Argentina
Inquisitive southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, closely approaches cameraman, Argentina
Southern right whale mother and calf underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Inquisitive southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, closely approaches cameraman, Argentina
Southern right whale mother and calf underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale mother and calf, flukes, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale mother and calf underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale rostrum, showing callosities and whale lice, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale mother and calf, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale raising fluke out of the water, Patagonia, Argentina
Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
White southern right whale calf underwater, eyeball, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Inquisitive southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, closely approaches cameraman, Argentina
Southern right whale raising fluke out of the water, Patagonia, Argentina
Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Southern right whales very close to shore, people watching from the beach, aerial photo, Patagonia, Argentina
Inquisitive southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, closely approaches cameraman, Argentina
Inquisitive southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, closely approaches cameraman, Argentina
Southern right whale rostrum, showing callosities and whale lice, Eubalaena australis, Argentina
Two southern right whale rostrums, showing callosities and whale lice, Eubalaena australis, Argentina