North Pacific humpback whales, a mother and calf pair swim closely together just under the surface of the ocean. The calf will remain with its mother for about a year, migrating from Hawaii to Alaska to feed on herring. Megaptera novaeangliae, Molokai, Hawaii.
Humpback whale breaching, near Molokai, Hawaii. Megaptera novaeangliae. It is suspected the breaching often has a communicative purpose which depends on the behavioral context of the moment.
Blue whale close-up underwater portrait, taken breath-hold diving just a few feet away from the enormous blue whale with a fisheye lens.
Adult male, Guadalupe fur seal, floating upside down under the ocean's surface at Guadalupe Island, watching the photographer and looking for passing predators, Arctocephalus townsendi, Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Mexico.
Male elk bugling during the fall rut, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Cervus canadensis.
Brown pelican in flight at sunrise, La Jolla, Pelecanus occidentalis
Two tiger sharks
West Indian Manatee, swims slowly through the clear waters of Crystal River, Florida. Trichechus manatus.
Mule deer in tall grass, fall, autumn.
Mature male coastal brown bear boar (grizzly bear) in sedge grass meadows. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Ursus arctos.
Young coastal brown bear, pausing while grazing in tall sedge grass, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Ursus arctos.
A great white shark swims through the clear waters of Isla Guadalupe, far offshore of the Pacific Coast of Mexico's Baja California. Guadalupe Island is host to a concentration of large great white sharks, which visit the island to feed on pinnipeds and use it as a staging area before journeying farther into the Pacific ocean.
A white tern, or fairy tern, alights on a branch at Rose Atoll in American Samoa.
Brown booby flying over Rose Atoll at sunset, with dark colorful storm clouds and other birds in the background.
Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) at Wolf Island in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
Tiger shark and horse-eye jacks
Mother and calf southern right whales underwater, swimming over sandy shallow bottom.
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) underwater photo, full body shot, note distinctive white coloration on the right side of the whales rostrum.
Portrait of a huge adult blue whale in the open ocean, head to tail (rostrum to fluke), only a few feet away, showing detail in its eye, lips and throat pleats and skin pattern.
A blue shark swims through the open ocean in search of prey, backlit by the sunset. Prionace glauca.
California sea lion framed by huge breaking wave in La Jolla
Caribbean reef shark, ampullae of Lorenzini visible on snout.
South American sea lion underwater, Otaria flavescens, Patagonia, Argentina
California sea lion underwater playing with sea star.
Portrait of a Southern Right Whale Underwater, Eubalaena australis. This particular right whale exhibits a beautiful mottled pattern on its sides.
Steller sea lion underwater, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
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.
Steller sea lion underwater, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
The bright orange garibaldi fish, California's state marine fish, is also clownlike in appearance.
A northern elephant seal hovers underwater over a rocky bottom along the coastline of Guadalupe Island.
Pacific torpedo ray Tetronarce californica, amidst huge schools of fish and baitfish, Farnsworth Banks, Catalina Island. This electric ray will shock the hell out of you if you are not careful.
Juvenile Northern Elephant Seal Underwater, Coronado Islands, Mexico
Male elephant seal with considerable scarring from fighting other males for territory and mates. Central California. Mirounga angustirostris.
Sea lion underwater in beautiful sunset light
California brown pelican in flight, spreading wings wide to slow in anticipation of landing on seacliffs
Steller sea lion underwater, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
South American sea lions underwater, Otaria flavescens, Patagonia, Argentina
Mother and calf gray whale, aerial photo, embryonic folds visible on the very young calf
Giant black sea bass, endangered species, reaching up to 8' in length and 500 lbs, amid giant kelp forest
Coyote, pausing to look for prey as it passes through Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
Guadalupe fur seal pup sits on brown rocks along the coastline of Guadalupe Island, Arctocephalus townsendi, Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Mexico.
Brown pelican in flight. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status. In winter months, breeding adults assume a dramatic plumage
Brown pelican in flight. The wingspan of the brown pelican is over 7 feet wide. The California race of the brown pelican holds endangered species status. In winter months, breeding adults assume a dramatic plumage.
Black bear, Minnesota. Ursus americanus.
California brown pelican in flight, spreading wings wide to slow in anticipation of landing on seacliffs
A huge blue whale swims through the open ocean in this aerial photograph. Balaenoptera musculus.
Silky Shark at San Benedicto Islands, Revillagigedos, Mexico
Steller sea lion underwater, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Brown pelican head throw. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch.
California sea lions, Coronado Islands.
Ocean sunfish schooling, open ocean near San Diego, Mola mola.
A neonate gray whale calf, born just hours before, still exhbiting embryonic folds in the skin along its side. This baby gray whale was born in the cold waters of Big Sur, far to the north of the Mexican lagoons of Baja California where most gray whale births take place. Monterey, California, Eschrichtius robustus.
Aerial photo of gray whale calf and mother. This baby gray whale was born during the southern migration, far to the north of the Mexican lagoons of Baja California where most gray whale births take place.
Northern fur seal swims through the cold waters and kelp forest of San Miguel Island, in California's northern Channel Islands, Callorhinus ursinus.
Western gull, early morning pink sky.
Steller sea lion underwater bubble display, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Aerial photo of gray whale calf and mother. This baby gray whale was born during the southern migration, far to the north of the Mexican lagoons of Baja California where most gray whale births take place.
Gray whale blowing at the ocean surface, exhaling and breathing as it prepares to dive underwater.
Lionness and two week old cub, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Lion female, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Leopard, Olare Orok Conservancy, Kenya
Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch
California sea lion hauled out on rocks beside the ocean.
Maasai Giraffe, Amboseli National Park
A sea otter, resting on its back, holding its paw out of the water for warmth. While the sea otter has extremely dense fur on its body, the fur is less dense on its head, arms and paws so it will hold these out of the cold water to conserve body heat.
Coyote in snow covered field along the Madison River.
Pacific white sided dolphin, carrying drift kelp.
Bison.
Galapagos fur seal, Darwin Island.
Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Central California.
Coral hawkfish.
What does a huge blue whale eat? Some years, they feed on aggregations of pelagic red crabs, Pleuroncodes planipes.
Atlantic spotted dolphin, juvenile.
Western gull, early morning pink sky
Coyote, Sierra Nevada foothills, Mariposa, California.
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) skims the ocean surface.
Scalloped hammerhead shark.
Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter breeding plumage with distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch
Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter breeding plumage with distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch
Roosevelt elk, adult bull male with large antlers. Roosevelt elk grow to 10' and 1300 lb, eating grasses, sedges and various berries, inhabiting the coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.
Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch
Roosevelt elk, adult bull male with large antlers. This bull elk has recently shed the velvet that covers its antlers. While an antler is growing, it is covered with highly vascular skin called velvet, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the growing bone; once the antler has achieved its full size, the velvet is lost and the antler's bone dies. This dead bone structure is the mature antler, which is itself shed after each mating season. Roosevelt elk grow to 10' and 1300 lb, eating grasses, sedges and various berries, inhabiting the coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.
Brown pelican head throw. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch.
California brown pelican on Oceanside Pier, sitting on the pier railing, sunset, winter.
Western gull portrait.
Bottlenose dolphin.
Sea Turtle, underwater, black and white.