A Rissos dolphin leaps from the ocean in a full breach. Note distinguishing and highly variable skin and dorsal fin patterns, characteristic of this species. White scarring, likely caused by other Risso dolphins teeth, accumulates during the dolphins life so that adult Rissos dolphins are almost entirely white. Offshore near San Diego.
Species: Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 07597
An enormous blue whale rounds out (hunches up its back) before diving. Note the distinctive mottled skin pattern and small, falcate dorsal fin. Open ocean offshore of San Diego.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 07573
An enormous blue whale rounds out (hunches up its back) before diving. Note the distinctive mottled skin pattern and small, falcate dorsal fin. Open ocean offshore of San Diego.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 07577
Mating pair of Southern Right Whales, aerial photo. In this photo, the male is grasping the female with one of his pectoral fins as a prelude to copulation. 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: 41247
Humpback whale with one of its long pectoral fins raised aloft out of the water, swimming on its side (laterally) as it does so.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 01470
Male humpback whale with head raised out of the water, braking and pushing back at another whale by using pectoral fins spread in a "crucifix block", during surface active social behaviours.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 04106
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
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: 27619
Gray whale raising its fluke (tail) in front of a boat of whale watchers before diving to the ocean floor to forage for crustaceans, Cow Bay, Flores Island, near Tofino, Clayoquot Sound, west coast of Vancouver Island.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Location: Cow Bay, Flores Island, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 21184
Mating pair of Southern Right Whales, aerial photo. In this photo, the male is grasping the female with one of his pectoral fins as a prelude to copulation. 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: 41297
Mating pair of Southern Right Whales, aerial photo. In this photo, the male is grasping the female with one of his pectoral fins as a prelude to copulation. 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: 41298
Blue whale rounding out at surface with dorsal fin visible, before diving for food, showing characteristic blue/gray mottled skin pattern.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: Dana Point, California
Image ID: 27345
Male humpback whale with head raised out of the water, braking and pushing back at another whale by using pectoral fins spread in a "crucifix block", during surface active social behaviours.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 04112