Cetacean photos

Blue whale underwater closeup photo. This picture of a blue whale, the largest animal ever to inhabit earth, shows it swimming through the open ocean, a rare underwater view. Since this blue whale was approximately 80-90' long and just a few feet from the camera, an extremely wide lens was used to photograph the entire enormous whale.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: California
Image ID: 27299  

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.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 00140  

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.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 00205  

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.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 02304  

Atlantic spotted dolphin, Olympic swimmer Mikako Kotani.
Species: Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 00647  

Humpback whale in Antarctica. A humpback whale swims through the beautiful ice-filled waters of Neko Harbor, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Neko Harbor, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Image ID: 25646  

Humpback whale breaching with pectoral fins lifting spray from the ocean surface.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 03854  

Atlantic spotted dolphin and Olympic champion swimmer Matt Biondi.
Species: Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 00018  

Hawaiian spinner dolphin, resting herd swimming along reef.
Species: Hawaiian spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris
Location: Lanai, Hawaii
Image ID: 00108  

Blue whale underwater photo showing entire whale head (rostrum) to tail (fluke). This picture of a blue whale shows it swimming through the open ocean, a rare underwater view. Specialized underwater camera gear, including an extremely wide lens, was used to capture the entire enormous whale in a single photograph.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: California
Image ID: 27300  

Blue whale, exhaling as it surfaces from a dive, aerial photo. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth, exceeding 100' in length and 200 tons in weight.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: Redondo Beach, California
Image ID: 25950  

Fin whale underwater. The fin whale is the second longest and sixth most massive animal ever, reaching lengths of 88 feet.
Species: Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
Image ID: 27594  

Fin whale underwater. The fin whale is the second longest and sixth most massive animal ever, reaching lengths of 88 feet.
Species: Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
Image ID: 27597  

Blue whales, adult and juvenile (likely mother and calf), swimming together side by side underwater in the open ocean.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34568  

Blue whales feeding on krill underwater closeup photo. A picture of a blue whale with its throat pleats inflated with a mouthful of krill. A calf swims behind and below the adult. Over 80' long and just a few feet from the camera, an extremely wide lens was used to photograph the entire enormous whale.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: California
Image ID: 27314  

Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina.
Species: Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 35906  

White southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis, Argentina.
Species: Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 35908  

A huge blue whale swims through the open ocean in this underwater photograph. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34567  

Killer whale attacking sea lion. Biggs transient orca and California sea lion.
Species: California sea lion, Killer whale, Orcinus orca, Zalophus californianus
Location: Palos Verdes, California
Image ID: 30428  

A huge blue whale swims through the open ocean in this underwater photograph. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Image ID: 03027  

Mother and calf gray whale, aerial photo, embryonic folds visible on the very young calf.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Image ID: 37973  

Blue whale skeleton in Antarctica, on the shore at Port Lockroy, Antarctica. This skeleton is composed primarily of blue whale bones, but there are believed to be bones of other baleen whales included in the skeleton as well.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: Port Lockroy, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Image ID: 25604  

Humpback whale lunge feeding on Antarctic krill, with mouth open and baleen visible. The humbpack's throat grooves are seen as its pleated throat becomes fully distended as the whale fills its mouth with krill and water. The water will be pushed out, while the baleen strains and retains the small krill.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Gerlache Strait, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Image ID: 25648  

Water falling from the fluke (tail) of a humpback whale as the whale dives to forage for food in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Santa Rosa Island, California
Image ID: 27029  

Blue whale, swimming through the open ocean.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 21248  

Blue whale. The sleek hydrodynamic shape of the enormous blue whale allows it to swim swiftly through the ocean, at times over one hundred miles in a single day.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 21250  

Fin whale underwater. The fin whale is the second longest and sixth most massive animal ever, reaching lengths of 88 feet.
Species: Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 27116  

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  

Blue whale aerial photo, with the shadow of the survey plane providing scale as to how huge the whale really is.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Image ID: 02168  

Blue whale fluking up (raising its tail) before a dive to forage for krill, Baja California (Mexico).
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Image ID: 03332