North Pacific humpback whales, a mother and calf pair swim closely together just under the surface of the ocean. The calf with remain with its mother for about a year, migrating from Hawaii to Alaska to feed on herring, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui

North Pacific humpback whales, a mother and calf pair swim closely together just under the surface of the ocean. The calf with remain with its mother for about a year, migrating from Hawaii to Alaska to feed on herring. Megaptera novaeangliae, Molokai, Hawaii.

 North Pacific humpback whale, breach, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui

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.

 Two blue whales, a mother and her calf, swim through the open ocean in this aerial photograph. The calf is blowing (spouting, exhaling) with a powerful column of spray. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth, Balaenoptera musculus, San Diego, California

Blue Whale Aerial Photo. Two blue whales, a mother and her calf, swim through the open ocean in this aerial photograph. The calf is blowing (spouting, exhaling) with a powerful column of spray. Balaenoptera musculus.
Pacific white sided dolphin carrying drift kelp, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, San Diego, California

Pacific white sided dolphin carrying drift kelp. San Diego. Lagenorhynchus obliquidens.

 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, Eschrichtius robustus, Monterey

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.

 Blue whale, the largest animal ever to inhabit earth, swims through the open ocean, underwater view, Balaenoptera musculus

Underwater photo of a blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, the largest animal ever to inhabit earth, swims through the open ocean, in this underwater photograph.
Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, Sao Miguel Island

Sperm whale underwater, Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal. Physeter macrocephalus.

 Atlantic spotted dolphin, Olympic swimmer Matt Biondi, Stenella frontalis

Atlantic spotted dolphin with Olympic champion swimmer Matt Biondi, Bahamas. Stenella frontalis.

 Rissos dolphin, breaching. Note distinguishing and highly variable skin and dorsal fin patterns, characteristic of this species. White scarring, likely caused by other Risso dolphins teeth, accumulates during the dolphins life so that adult Rissos dolphins are almost entirely white. San Diego, Grampus griseus

Risso's dolphin breaching the water in a leap. San Diego. Grampus griseus.
Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, Monterey, California

Gray whale raising its fluke before a dive. Monterey, California. Eschrichtius robustus.

 Bottlenose dolphin, breaching the surface of the ocean, offshore of San Diego, Tursiops truncatus

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) skims the ocean surface.

 Bottlenose dolphin, bubbles forming in its exhalation just below the surface of the ocean, offshore of San Diego, Tursiops truncatus

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), bubbles forming in its exhalation just below the surface of the ocean, offshore of San Diego.
Common dolphin at the edge of the ocean, Delphinus delphis, Santa Barbara, California

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) cresting a wave.

 Water falling from a blue whale fluke as the whale dives to forage for food in the Santa Barbara Channel, Balaenoptera musculus, Santa Rosa Island, California

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) raising its fluke to dive, Channel Islands, Santa Barbara, California.

 Pacific bottlenose dolphin breaches the ocean surface as it leaps and takes a breath. Open ocean near San Diego, Tursiops truncatus

Pacific bottlenose dolphin breaches the ocean surface as it leaps and takes a breath. Open ocean near San Diego. Tursiops truncatus.
Common dolphin leaping, Delphinus delphis, Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe)

Common Dolphin, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, Guadalupe Island

 Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis

Atlantic spotted dolphin, socializing group, Bahamas. Stenella frontalis.

 Hawaiian spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris, Lanai

Hawaiian spinner dolphin, Lanai, Hawaii. Stenella longirostris.
Sperm whale social group, Physeter macrocephalus, Sao Miguel Island

Sperm whale social group, Azores, Portugal. Physeter macrocephalus.

 Sperm whale blowhole (left side of head), Physeter macrocephalus, Sao Miguel Island

Sperm whale, Azores, Portugal. Physeter macrocephalus.

 North Pacific humpback whale, male escort bubble streams alongside mother and calf, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui

North Pacific humpback whale, male escort bubble streams alongside mother and calf. Hawaii. Megaptera novaeangliae.
False killer whale, eating fish, Pseudorca crassidens, Lanai

False killer whales, eating fish. Lanai, Hawaii. Pseudorca crassidens.

 Adult blue whale surfacing, Baja California (Mexico), Balaenoptera musculus

Blue whale aerial photos, Adult blue whale surfacing, Baja California, Mexico, Balaenoptera musculus.

 Gray whale, Laguna San Ignacio, Eschrichtius robustus, San Ignacio Lagoon

Gray whale, Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico. Fluke raised during courtship competition. Eschrichtius robustus.
Short-finned pilot whale, adult and calf, Globicephala macrorhynchus, Sao Miguel Island

Shortfin Pilot Whale, Sao Miguel Island