This Week's Most Frequently Viewed Images

Wildflowers on Shadow Mountain with the Teton Range visible in the distance.
Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13021  

Pacific harbor seals rest while hauled out on a sandy beach. This group of harbor seals, which has formed a breeding colony at a small but popular beach near San Diego, is at the center of considerable controversy. While harbor seals are protected from harassment by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and other legislation, local interests would like to see the seals leave so that people can resume using the beach.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 10452  

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: 10369  

A great white shark underwater. A large great white shark cruises the clear oceanic waters of Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe).
Species: Great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 10119  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10001  

Lembert Dome and late afternoon clouds rise above Tuolumne Meadows in the High Sierra, catching the fading light of sunset.
Location: Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 09938  

Craig OConnor and his pending spearfishing world record North Pacific yellowtail (77.4 pounds), taken on a breathold dive with a band-power speargun near Abalone Point. Guadalupe Island is home to enormous yellowtail. The three most recent spearfishing world records for Northern yellowtail have been taken at Guadalupe. July 2004.
Species: North pacific yellowtail, Yellowtail, Kingfish, Seriola lalandi
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 09596  

Coastal redwoods and Douglas firs dominate the Muir Woods National Monument north of San Francisco. Coast redwoods are the worlds tallest living species and second-most massive tree (after the giant Sequoia), reaching 370 ft in height and 22 ft in diameter. Muir Woods National Monument, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, north of San Francisco.
Species: Coastal redwood, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Sequoia sempervirens
Location: Muir Woods National Monument, California
Image ID: 09083  

Calf Cone.
Species: Calf cone, Conus vitulinus
Image ID: 07974  

Tiger shark and photographer Jim Abernethy.
Species: Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 10690  

Tiger shark.
Species: Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 10705  

The Teton Range is reflected in the glassy waters of the Snake River at Schwabacher Landing.
Location: Schwabacher Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 12983  

European glass lizard. Without legs, the European glass lizard appears to be a snake, but in truth it is a species of lizard. It is native to southeastern Europe.
Species: European glass lizard, Pseudopus apodus
Image ID: 12742  

African gaboon viper camouflage blends into the leaves of the forest floor. This heavy-bodied snake is one of the largest vipers, reaching lengths of 4-6 feet (1.5-2m). It is nocturnal, living in rain forests in central Africa. Its fangs are nearly 2 inches (5cm) long.
Species: African gaboon viper, Bitis gabonica
Image ID: 12575  

Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish.
Species: Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish, Chaetodon ulietensis
Image ID: 11817  

Spuyten Duyvil Swing Bridge (foreground) and Henry Hudson Bridge (background). The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge is a swing bridge that carries Amtrak's Empire Corridor line across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek between Manhattan and the Bronx, in New York City. The bridge is located at the point where Spuyten Duyvil Creek and the Hudson River meet.
Location: Manhattan, New York City
Image ID: 11149  

Brooklyn Bridge viewed from Brooklyn. Lower Manhattan visible behind the Bridge.
Location: Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
Image ID: 11064  

Pot-bellied seahorse, male, carrying eggs. The developing embryos are nourished by individual yolk sacs, and oxygen is supplied through a placenta-like attachment to the male. Two to six weeks after fertilization, the male gives birth. The babies must then fend for themselves, and few survive to adulthood.
Species: Pot-bellied seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis
Image ID: 11027  

Copperband butterflyfish.
Species: Copperband butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus
Image ID: 10996  

A Pacific harbor seal hauled out on a sandy beach. This group of harbor seals, which has formed a breeding colony at a small but popular beach near San Diego, is at the center of considerable controversy. While harbor seals are protected from harassment by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and other legislation, local interests would like to see the seals leave so that people can resume using the beach.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 15056