Mission Photo, Mission photos, Natural History Photography

La Sainte-Chapelle, The Holy Chapel, is one of the only surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Ile de la Cite in the heart of Paris, France. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion Relics, including the Crown of Thorns - one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom.
Location: La Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France
Image ID: 35602

Portrait of an adult Southern Right Whale Underwater, Eubalaena australis, hovering over sand bottom on Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41175

Breaching Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis, Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41176

Copulating Southern Right Whales, aerial photo. The male is upside down (belly up) and trying to copulate with the female who is also belly up and being evasive of the male. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41185

Southern Lapwing in flight, Vanellus chilensis, on Peninsula Valdes in Argentina's coastal Patagonia. Note the spur-like structure at the wrist joint which it uses to fight other birds in flight. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Lapwing, Vanellus chilensis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41191

South American Tern in flight, Sterna hirundinacea, Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: South American Tern, Sterna hirundinacea
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41189

South American Sea Lions at Sunset, Otaria flavescens, Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: South American Sea Lion, Otaria flavescens
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41193

South American Sea Lion, Otaria flavescens, Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: South American Sea Lion, Otaria flavescens
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41194

Southern right whale underwater, Eubalaena australis, in Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41179

Portrait of Mother and Calf Southern Right Whales Underwater, Eubalaena australis, hovering over sand bottom on Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41183

Southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA, Eubalaena australis, Puerto Piramides

Southern right whale calf underwater, Eubalaena australis. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41184

Closeup underwater view of a Southern right whale eyeball, Eubalaena australis. Whale lice can be seen clearly in the folds and crevices around the whales eye and lip groove. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41190

Aerial photo of white Southern Right Whale calf with its mother. The mother is gray in color, rather than dark black, since she was a white calf herself and gradually darkened to gray as she matured. About five per cent of southern right whales are born white due to a condition known as grey morphism and will gradually turn dark as they age. They are not albino (which is a complete lack of pigmentation). The white coloration is a recessive genetic trait and only lasts a few months. Typically white calves become much darker as they mature but will still be lighter than normal even as adults. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41180

Aerial photo of Southern Right Whale Mother and Calf. Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41181

Aerial photo of Eight Southern Right Whales in a large Courtship / Mating Group at Peninsula Valdes, Argentina. Eubalaena australis. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41187

Southern Right Whale with fluke raised out of the water with the famous "pyramid" of Puerto Piramides in the distance. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41186

Crystal Pier, 872 feet long and built in 1925, extends out into the Pacific Ocean from the town of Pacific Beach. Mission Bay and downtown San Diego are seen in the distance.
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 22294

South American sea lion underwater, Otaria flavescens, Patagonia, Argentina. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: South American Sea Lion, Otaria flavescens
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41229

Sea World Fireworks San Diego Mission Bay. Sea World shows evening fireworks over Mission Bay.
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 36902

Mother and calf southern right whales underwater. The calf swims close to its mother but, if the mother is accepting, the calf will be allowed to come close to the photographer and check him out. By permission of the Government of Argentina, Chubut, permit # 51 / 2025-SsCyA.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 41199

Mission Photos