Photo Of The Day and Natural History Commentary

One of my favorite frames from last year. I had South Ponto entirely to myself all morning, and nice hollow waves were firing, pitching up over the sandbars that had set up just north of the cliffs.

Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad, California. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17394   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

More Ponto photos.

Common dolphin. San Diego, California, USA. Image: 00071   Species: Delphinus delphis Location: San Diego, California, USA

These common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) are gathered just under the surface of the water in front of my boat. We’ll motor slowly, leaning over the bow, trying to get a good picture of them without it looking like it was taken through a shower door. Its pretty hard to get one where the surface disappears entirely – if the water is glassed off then the sky is usually overcast and makes the shot hazy, and if the sky is clear blue then there is usually wind which chops up the surface. This is about the best I’ve done at this sort of shot – so far.

Black bear in a tree. Black bears are expert tree climbers and will ascend trees if they sense danger or the approach of larger bears, to seek a place to rest, or to get a view of their surroundings. Orr, Minnesota, USA. Image: 18792   Species: Ursus americanus Location: Orr, Minnesota, USA

Despite it’s cinnamon coloration, this is a American black bear (Ursus americanus). As can be seen, it is a natural climber. It will hustle up a tree if it feels threatened by the approach of a larger bear, or if it is seeking a quiet place to rest, or if it wants to get a better look at its surroundings.

Black bear walking in a grassy meadow. Black bears can live 25 years or more, and range in color from deepest black to chocolate and cinnamon brown. Adult males typically weigh up to 600 pounds. Adult females weight up to 400 pounds and reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4 years of age. Adults stand about 3′ tall at the shoulder. Orr, Minnesota, USA. Image: 18806   Species: Ursus americanus Location: Orr, Minnesota, USA

A mature American black bear (Ursus americanus) from my little outing to Minnesota late last month.

We used to live a few miles from Torrey Pines and Del Mar, and walked on the beach there fairly often. As they erode, the cliffs above the sand supply the beach with cobblestones. Depending on the season and recent surf energy, the beach ranges from nearly stone-free to being so covered with cobblestones as to nearly hide the sand below entirely. Here is a typical sunset along the long, beautiful stretch of beach from Del Mar south to Torrey Pines, with cobblestones.

Sunset, cobblestones, surf and sand, Torrey Pines State Beach. Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 05518   Location: Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California, USA

My daughter’s favorite fish is yellowtail (Seriola lalandi). We grill it on the bbq, in foil, with olive oil and garlic. Its pretty good that way! While out searching for kelp paddies offshore of San Diego, we would often find yellowtail in the summer, schooling around the paddies. These predatory members of the jack family terrorize the bait schools that seek protection under kelp paddies. Yellowtail are a favorite target of freediving spearfishermen, and the spearos on Skip’s annual Guadalupe Island trips often shot enormous toads, huge yellowtail that on three occasions broke the world record for largest North Pacific yellowtail taken spearfishing.

School of juvenile North Pacific Yellowtail, attracted to nearby drift kelp, open ocean. San Diego, California, USA. Image: 02439   Species: Seriola lalandi Location: San Diego, California, USA

I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the shallows at Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe). The diving is so special there that I will spend every minute I can in the water, breathing a little as possible and waiting until my tank is drained before surfacing to call for a skiff ride back to the big boat. The long eastern shore of Guadalupe Island is typically protected and calm, and this is where much of our diving is done. Drifting around with the mild surge, I’ll find Guadalupe fur seals, usually solitary males but sometimes juveniles in small groups, sea turtles, the very occasional elephant seal, lots of lobster and, since Guadalupe Island straddles both temperate and tropical ranges for many types of fish, a great mix of species. Sometimes too I’ll just zone out in the protected pocket cove, turning over the cobblestones that line the bottom looking for cowries and other weird stuff.

Boulders cover the ocean floor, worn round and smooth by centuries of wave action. Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico. Image: 18511   Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico

High atop Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui lives the Haleakala Silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense macrocephalum). This remarkable plant lives only in the crater and on the slopes of Haleakala, above 6800′ (2100m). The silversword grows from seed and lives from 15 to 50 years. At the end of its life it forms a dramatic blooming stalk, however since the flowering season is June to September, and my visits to Maui have always coincided with humpback season (January through May) I’ve never been able to photograph the blooming phase. In this photo the outer flanks of Haleakala are seen in the background, dropping away to clouds that cover the west Maui mountains in the distance.

Haleakala silversword plant, endemic to the Haleakala volcano crater area above 6800 foot elevation. Maui, Hawaii, USA. Image: 18506   Species: Argyroxiphium sandwicense macrocephalum Location: Maui, Hawaii, USA

Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe) straddles both tropical and temperate fish ranges and offers a unique mix of species to see. It is not uncommon to see Panamic fanged blennies and red-tailed triggerfish alongside blacksmith and garibaldi. Shown here is a small school of Cortez chub (Kyphosus elegans) that was stationed at one end of Church Rock. Dominant male Cortez chub have a striking golden phase that I have only seen a few times at Guadalupe.

Cortez chubb. Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico. Image: 01020   Species: Kyphosus elegans Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico

Of the few people who actually dive at Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe) (sorry, cage dives don’t count!) only a fraction will dive on the rugged, exposed, weather side of the island. There, not far from the “west anchorage", lies a secret complex of arches and large underwater caves. The arches we have named Los Arcos del Diablo although the Mexicans at the island probably have another name for them. Rising 40′ or more out of the water, they are formed on the leading edge of a long extinct lava flow that juts out from the island and abruptly drops into the ocean. The underwater terrain below the arches is even more dramatic with at least one large cavern having a 40′ vertical opening and extending several times that laterally into the heart of the lava flow. We named our find El Secreto Del Vicki in honor of a member of our discovery team and the only known distaff diver intrepid enough to brave the white sharks and crazy water of Guadalupe to explore this particular underwater marvel. Here is a shot of Vicki hovering in the entrance to her namesake cave:

El Secreto del Vicki cavern. Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico. Image: 06191   Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon near Page, Arizona. In January I spent a day there shooting the upper canyon (there are two slot canyons, “upper” and “lower") and had a blast. We had Antelope Canyon virtually to ourselves (a small group of five) for several hours.

A photographer works amidst the striated walls and dramatic light within Antelope Canyon, a deep narrow slot canyon formed by water and wind erosion. Image: 18011   Location: Navajo Tribal Lands, Page, Arizona, USA

Slot canyons are formed when water and wind erode a cut through a (usually sandstone) mesa, producing a very narrow passage that may be as slim as a few feet and a hundred feet or more in height. The Upper Antelope Slot Canyon is likely the world’s most well-known slot canyon, having appearing in films, television commercials and thousands of published photographs. The sandstone striations, wildly curving walls, ethereal light and tortured twisting passages that characterize Upper Antelope Canyon draw visitors and photographers year round, to the point that the canyon becomes jammed with people in the hot hot hot summertime.

A hiker admiring the striated walls and dramatic light within Antelope Canyon, a deep narrow slot canyon formed by water and wind erosion. Image: 17995   Location: Navajo Tribal Lands, Page, Arizona, USA

Normally the Antelope Canyon slot canyons are dry and sandy, but flash floods form suddenly, transforming the slot canyon in minutes into a roiling, water-filled trap in rainy weather. Tragically, in 1997 a flash flood in the lower Antelope Canyon slot canyon killed eleven people of a party of twelve. Both the upper and less-visited lower slot canyons in Antelope Canyon are accessible only through permit and are located on LaChee Navajo tribal lands near Page, Arizona.

Antelope Canyon, a deep narrow slot canyon formed by water and wind erosion. Image: 18001   Location: Navajo Tribal Lands, Page, Arizona, USA

See Antelope Canyon photos, slot canyon photos.

Eco Fund Launched To Protect the Great White Shark - GuadalupeFund.Org

(California) June 9, 2007 ­ Isla Guadalupe, Mexico has become the internationally recognized destination for divers seeking unprecedented encounters with Great White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). The 90 square mile island located in the Pacific is also home to many rare endemic species of animals and plants. In 2005 Mexico declared the island a Bio-Sphere Reserve under the watchful eye of CONANP the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas. As is the case with many watch dog and eco enforcement organizations worldwide, long term funding for actual on site protections of this resource and the Great Whites that seasonally inhabit these pristine waters do not exist at this time.

Globally, shark aggregation sites like Isla Guadalupe have been decimated in the past few years by poaching, over fishing, and an uncontrolled trade in shark fins that takes an estimated 70 million sharks a year.

Recently a concerned group of shark diving operators, vessel owners and researchers stepped in to create and launch the Guadalupe Fund 501©3. Its stated goal is to move much needed cash and donated equipment into the Bio-Sphere for park staff and continued funding for long term white shark science/monitoring.

“The timing for the Guadalupe Fund couldn’t be better”, said John Conniff, owner operators of the MV Islander, which runs white shark diving expeditions to the island. “I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the past 8 years working at Isla Guadalupe. Over that time I’ve marveled at both the diversity and uniqueness this island has to offer. This fund, in conjunction with a robust effort from the Mexican government will insure that future usage is managed in a way that maintains the island’s integrity and protects its many resources; this island is truly one of a kind. Our goal is to make sure it stays that way for generations to come”.

Nicole Nasby Lucas from the Marine Conservation Science Institute has been involved in ongoing white shark tagging and photo identification research at this site for the past six years. “Our tagging and photo-ID research have shown that the Guadalupe Island white sharks aggregate here in large numbers during the fall and winter, leave the island and travel as far as Hawaii and then come back to the same spot. This makes Guadalupe Island a critical habitat for the white shark in this region and demonstrates the importance of protecting the island and its sharks”.

The diverse and often contrary nature of this coalition of dive boat operators, researchers and eco-tour operators is a testament to the immediate need for a long term funding source for this unique Bio-Sphere Reserve and all its inhabitants. The Guadalupe Fund is being managed by Marinebio.org with assistance from shark diving operator SharkDiver.Com and hopes to generate a minimum of $100,000 a year from concerned divers and shark lover’s world wide. All donations to this fund are tax deductible and gifts ranging from free trips to the island and the opportunity to name a Great White shark after donors exist for interested parties.

For more information visit:

Guadalupe Fund-www.gudalupefund.org
Shark Diver-www.sharkdiver.com
Nautilus Explorer-www.nautilusexplorer.com
Islander Charters-www.islandersportfishing.com
Horizon Charters-www.horizoncharters.com
Marine Conservation Science Institute -www.marinecsi.org

Common dolphin leaping (porpoising). San Diego, California, USA. Image: 18933   Species: Delphinus delphis Location: San Diego, California, USA

It’s morning offshore of San Diego and the clouds have not yet burned off. It is hard to take good photos in this type of light. For some reason this shot of a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) leaping alone through a glassy ocean surface seemed moody enough to keep.

Common dolphin. San Diego, California, USA. Image: 06421   Species: Delphinus delphis Location: San Diego, California, USA

This is a small herd of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), porpoising and leaping as they travel. This was taken about 10 miles offshore of San Diego.

Common dolphin leaping (porpoising). San Diego, California, USA. Image: 02354   Species: Delphinus delphis Location: San Diego, California, USA

This is a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), leaping alongside our liveaboard boat on the way down to Guadalupe Island. We’ve seen herds of common dolphins numbering in the thousands. They are amazing leapers.

Common dolphin. San Diego, California, USA. Image: 00066   Species: Delphinus delphis Location: San Diego, California, USA

This is a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), sometimes called a short-beaked saddleback dolphin, gliding under a glassy ocean just in front of the bow of my boat, with overcast skies reflecting back.

Black bear cub in a tree. Mother bears will often send their cubs up into the safety of a tree if larger bears (who might seek to injure the cubs) are nearby. Black bears have sharp claws and, in spite of their size, are expert tree climbers. Image: 18746   Species: Ursus americanus Location: Orr, Minnesota, USA

This is a “spring cub", an American black bear (Ursus americanus) cub that was born this spring. It will remain with its mother for about a year. At this size it is completely dependent on its mother for everything. A black bear cub is a natural climber and it is common for them to scamper 40 - 60′ up a tree trunk to avoid danger. Wedging itself in the crook of a branch, the cub will remain in the tree for hours until its mother grunts at the base of the tree, indicating it is time to come down.

Black bear portrait. American black bears range in color from deepest black to chocolate and cinnamon brown. They prefer forested and meadow environments. This bear still has its thick, full winter coat, which will be shed soon with the approach of summer. Image: 18742   Species: Ursus americanus Location: Orr, Minnesota, USA

In spite of her color, this beautiful cinnamon-colored sow (see her little cub?) is an American black bear (Ursus americanus), not a brown or grizzly bear (Ursus arctos). Black bears range in color from deep black to chocolate, cinnamon and red shades. She will keep her cubs with her through next winter, close by her except when she leaves them in a tree for safety when she needs time alone. For now they are totally dependent on her ability to forage for food and find protection, and to teach them these skills. By next spring she will have “kicked out” the cubs, who by that time will be yearlings and able to fend for themselves.

Black bear in a tree. Black bears are expert tree climbers and will ascend trees if they sense danger or the approach of larger bears, to seek a place to rest, or to get a view of their surroundings. Image: 18745   Species: Ursus americanus Location: Orr, Minnesota, USA

Unlike their larger brethren brown bears (Ursus arctos), black bears (Ursus americanus) are skilled tree climbers. At the approach of larger bears who may injure her cubs, a sow (mother) will grunt to signal that her cubs should climb the nearest tree immediately, which the cubs do with surprising speed. When the coast is clear the sow will grunt again and her cubs will scramble down. Fearful yearlings, who are at the bottom of the black bear social hierarchy and no longer have the protective company of their mothers, will bolt up a tree at the approach of almost any other bear and even a sudden loud noise from a passing bird or squirrel.

Black bear walking in a grassy meadow. Black bears can live 25 years or more, and range in color from deepest black to chocolate and cinnamon brown. Adult males typically weigh up to 600 pounds. Adult females weight up to 400 pounds and reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4 years of age. Adults stand about 3′ tall at the shoulder. Image: 18748   Species: Ursus americanus Location: Orr, Minnesota, USA

Just back from four days photographing American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the woods of northern Minnesota. I shot from 6am until 7pm each day, stopping for a few passing thunderstorms. I saw about 30-40 bears plus about 12 spring cubs. Fortunately, having bathed in DEET several times each day and wearing clothes soaking in Permethrin, I got no mosquito or tick bites.