This Week's Most Frequently Viewed Images

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Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island
Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 00627  
Blade Runner, the injured North Pacific humpback whale, is seen with her calf swimming alongside. This humpback whale showing extensive scarring, almost certainly from a boat propeller, on dorsal ridge.  This female North Pacific humpback whale was first seen with the depicted lacerations near the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-90s, and is the original humpback to bear the name 'Blade Runner'. This female has apparently recovered, as evidenced by her calf in the background. A South Pacific humpback whale endured a similar injury in Sydney Australia in 2001, and bears a remarkably similar scar pattern to the above-pictured whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Blade Runner, the injured North Pacific humpback whale, is seen with her calf swimming alongside. This humpback whale showing extensive scarring, almost certainly from a boat propeller, on dorsal ridge. This female North Pacific humpback whale was first seen with the depicted lacerations near the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-90s, and is the original humpback to bear the name 'Blade Runner'. This female has apparently recovered, as evidenced by her calf in the background. A South Pacific humpback whale endured a similar injury in Sydney Australia in 2001, and bears a remarkably similar scar pattern to the above-pictured whale.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 05907  
A huge blue whale swims through the open ocean in this aerial photograph.  The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth, Balaenoptera musculus
A huge blue whale swims through the open ocean in this aerial photograph. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Image ID: 02169  
American badger.  Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures, Taxidea taxus
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12044  
Oakum boys, juvenile king penguins at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island.  Named 'oakum boys' by sailors for the resemblance of their brown fluffy plumage to the color of oakum used to caulk timbers on sailing ships, these year-old penguins will soon shed their fluffy brown plumage and adopt the colors of an adult, Aptenodytes patagonicus
Oakum boys, juvenile king penguins at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island. Named 'oakum boys' by sailors for the resemblance of their brown fluffy plumage to the color of oakum used to caulk timbers on sailing ships, these year-old penguins will soon shed their fluffy brown plumage and adopt the colors of an adult.
Species: King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus
Location: Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island
Image ID: 24406  
Angel shark, Islas San Benito, Squatina californica, San Benito Islands (Islas San Benito)
Angel shark, Islas San Benito.
Species: Angel shark, Squatina californica
Location: San Benito Islands (Islas San Benito), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 05792  
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.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Location: Monterey, California
Image ID: 01135  
Kelp fronds, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island
Kelp fronds.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 01273  
Horn shark, Heterodontus francisci, San Clemente Island
Horn shark.
Species: Horn shark, Heterodontus francisci
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 01071  
Blue whale, exhaling in a huge blow as it swims at the surface between deep dives. The blue whale's blow is a combination of water spray from around its blowhole and condensation from its warm breath, Balaenoptera musculus, San Diego, California
Blue whale, exhaling in a huge blow as it swims at the surface between deep dives. The blue whale's blow is a combination of water spray from around its blowhole and condensation from its warm breath.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34560  
Ceiling art detail, Chateau de Versailles, Paris, France
Ceiling art detail.
Location: Chateau de Versailles, Paris, France
Image ID: 28069  
Panorama dimensions: 5392 x 6250
Inside the Louvre Museum, Paris, Musee du Louvre
Inside the Louvre Museum, Paris.
Location: Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
Image ID: 28042  
Mountain lion, Sierra Nevada foothills, Mariposa, California, Puma concolor
Mountain lion, Sierra Nevada foothills, Mariposa, California.
Species: Mountain lion, Puma concolor
Image ID: 15791  
Purple-striped jelly, Chrysaora colorata
Purple-striped jelly.
Species: Purple-striped jellyfish, Chrysaora colorata
Image ID: 08976  
Wave breaking at Boomer Beach and La Jolla Cove near San Diego
Wave breaking at Boomer Beach and La Jolla Cove near San Diego.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 18282  
Brilliant red striations around the base of this pinnacle are responsible for its name: the Lollipop, White Pocket, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
Brilliant red striations around the base of this pinnacle are responsible for its name: the Lollipop.
Location: White Pocket, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
Image ID: 26607  
North Pacific humpback whale showing extensive scarring, almost certainly from a boat propeller, on dorsal ridge.  This female North Pacific humpback whale was first seen with the depicted lacerations near the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-90s, and is the original humpback to bear the name 'Blade Runner'. This female has apparently recovered, as evidenced the calf she was observed nurturing. A South Pacific humpback whale endured a similar injury in Sydney Australia in 2001, and bears a remarkably similar scar pattern to the above-pictured whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
North Pacific humpback whale showing extensive scarring, almost certainly from a boat propeller, on dorsal ridge. This female North Pacific humpback whale was first seen with the depicted lacerations near the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-90s, and is the original humpback to bear the name 'Blade Runner'. This female has apparently recovered, as evidenced the calf she was observed nurturing. A South Pacific humpback whale endured a similar injury in Sydney Australia in 2001, and bears a remarkably similar scar pattern to the above-pictured whale.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 05909  
Mountain lion leaping, Puma concolor
Mountain lion leaping.
Species: Mountain lion, Puma concolor
Image ID: 12297  
Tube anemone, Pachycerianthus fimbriatus
Tube anemone.
Species: Tube anemone, Pachycerianthus fimbriatus
Image ID: 14049  
Scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, Wolf Island
Scalloped hammerhead shark.
Species: Scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini
Location: Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16250  
The Mandelbrot Fractal.  Fractals are complex geometric shapes that exhibit repeating patterns typified by self-similarity, or the tendency for the details of a shape to appear similar to the shape itself.  Often these shapes resemble patterns occurring naturally in the physical world, such as spiraling leaves, seemingly random coastlines, erosion and liquid waves.  Fractals are generated through surprisingly simple underlying mathematical expressions, producing subtle and surprising patterns.  The basic iterative expression for the Mandelbrot set is z = z-squared + c, operating in the complex (real, imaginary) number set, Mandelbrot set
The Mandelbrot Fractal. Fractals are complex geometric shapes that exhibit repeating patterns typified by self-similarity, or the tendency for the details of a shape to appear similar to the shape itself. Often these shapes resemble patterns occurring naturally in the physical world, such as spiraling leaves, seemingly random coastlines, erosion and liquid waves. Fractals are generated through surprisingly simple underlying mathematical expressions, producing subtle and surprising patterns. The basic iterative expression for the Mandelbrot set is z = z-squared + c, operating in the complex (real, imaginary) number set.
Species: Mandelbrot fractal, Mandelbrot set
Image ID: 10370  
Galapagos sea lion on white sand beach, sunset, Zalophus californianus wollebacki, Zalophus californianus wollebaeki, Isla Lobos
Galapagos sea lion on white sand beach, sunset.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus wollebacki, Zalophus californianus wollebaeki
Location: Isla Lobos, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16513  
Giant kelp, blades, stipes and pneumatocysts, backlit by the sun in shallow water, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island
Giant kelp, blades, stipes and pneumatocysts, backlit by the sun in shallow water.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 25401  
Butchart Gardens, a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, near Victoria on Vancouver Island. It is an internationally-known tourist attraction which receives more than a million visitors each year
Butchart Gardens, a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, near Victoria on Vancouver Island. It is an internationally-known tourist attraction which receives more than a million visitors each year.
Location: Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 21141  
Blue whale 80-feet long, full body photograph of an enormous blue whale showing rostrom head to fluke tail, taken at close range with very wide lens, Balaenoptera musculus, San Diego, California
Blue whale 80-feet long, full body photograph of an enormous blue whale showing rostrom head to fluke tail, taken at close range with very wide lens.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 27967  
Bald eagle spreads its wings to land amid a large group of bald eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska
Bald eagle spreads its wings to land amid a large group of bald eagles.
Species: Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus washingtoniensis
Location: Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska
Image ID: 22707  
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, Catalina Island
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33435  
A Florida manatee, or West Indian Manatee, hovers in the clear waters of Crystal River, Trichechus manatus, Three Sisters Springs
A Florida manatee, or West Indian Manatee, hovers in the clear waters of Crystal River.
Species: West indian manatee, Trichechus manatus
Location: Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River, Florida
Image ID: 02654  
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, Catalina Island
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33438  
Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males.  Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Central California.
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Image ID: 15387  
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All photographs copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.