Oceans photos

Corynactis anemone polyp, a corallimorph, extends its arms into passing ocean currents to catch food.
Species: Strawberry anemone, Corynactis californica
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 33472  

Sea fan gorgonian and schooling Anthias on pristine and beautiful coral reef, Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Gorgonian, Gorgonacea, Pseudanthias
Location: Wakaya Island, Lomaiviti Archipelago, Fiji
Image ID: 31311  

Spectacularly colorful dendronephthya soft corals on South Pacific reef, reaching out into strong ocean currents to capture passing planktonic food, Fiji.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Fiji
Image ID: 31322  

Great hammerhead shark.
Species: Great hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran
Location: Bimini, Bahamas
Image ID: 31968  

Caribbean reef shark.
Species: Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezi
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 31977  

Caribbean reef shark swims over sponges and coral reef.
Species: Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezi
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 31978  

Magnificent frigatebird, adult male on nest, with throat pouch inflated, a courtship display to attract females.
Species: Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens
Location: North Seymour Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16725  

Garibaldi and golden gorgonian, with a underwater forest of giant kelp rising in the background, underwater.
Species: California golden gorgonian, Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus, Muricea californica
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 23432  

Hammerhead sharks swim in a school underwater at Wolf Island in the Galapagos archipelago. The hammerheads eyes and other sensor organs are placed far apart on its wide head to give the shark greater ability to sense the location of prey.
Species: Scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini
Location: Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16271  

A great white shark swims underwater through the ocean at Guadalupe Island.
Species: Great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 21348  

San Clemente Island aerial photo, Pyramid Head and Balanced Rock (China Hat) at the southern end of the island. San Clemente Island Pyramid Head, the distinctive pyramid shaped southern end of the island, exhibits distinctive geologic terracing, underwater reefs and giant kelp forests.
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 38483  

Australian Sea Lions, Grindal Island. Australian sea lions are the only endemic pinniped in Australia, and are found along the coastlines and islands of south and west Australia.
Species: Australian Sea Lion, Neophoca cinearea
Location: Grindal Island, South Australia
Image ID: 39157  

Spectacular pristine tropical reef with vibrant colorful soft corals. Dendronephthya soft corals, crinoids, sea fan gorgonians and schooling Anthias fishes, pulsing with life in a strong current over a pristine coral reef. Fiji is known as the soft coral capitlal of the world.
Species: Anthias, Crinoid feather star, Dendronephthya soft coral, Gorgonian, Crinoidea, Dendronephthya, Gorgonacea, Pseudanthias
Location: Fiji
Image ID: 31310  

Dendronephthya soft coral detail including polyps and calcium carbonate spicules, Fiji.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Makogai Island, Lomaiviti Archipelago, Fiji
Image ID: 31453  

Anthias fishes school in strong currents over a Fijian coral reef, with various hard and soft corals, sea fans and anemones on display. Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Pseudanthias
Location: Fiji
Image ID: 34741  

California Sea Lions Underwater, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 36466  

A mother California sea lion (left) and her pup (right), underwater at the Coronado Islands, Mexico. Mothers and pups spend much time together with the mother teaching her young padawan learner how to pursue prey. I spent a lot of time over 6 days watching this pair in Fall 2023.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39960  

Colorful Dendronephthya soft coral and schooling Anthias fish on coral reef, Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya, Pseudanthias
Location: Vatu I Ra Passage, Bligh Waters, Viti Levu Island, Fiji
Image ID: 31349  

Tiger shark and underwater photographer.
Species: Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 31876  

Adult male humpback whale singing, suspended motionless underwater. Only male humpbacks have been observed singing. All humpbacks in the North Pacific sing the same whale song each year, and the song changes slightly from one year to the next.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 02796  

Humpback whales bubblenet feeding in Southeast Alaska. Coordinated bubble-net feeding is a specialized cooperative feeding technique used by humpback whales, where a group of whales works together to trap fish or krill in a net of bubbles then lunge through to feed.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Sitka Sound, Alaska
Image ID: 40920  

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  

Bryozoan grows on a red gorgonian on rocky reef, below kelp forest, underwater. The red gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Gorgonians are oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by.
Species: Red gorgonian, Leptogorgia chilensis, Lophogorgia chilensis
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 25395  

Aerial photo of the West End of Catalina Island.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 25978  

California sea lions swim and socialize over a kelp-covered rocky reef, underwater at San Clemente Island in California's southern Channel Islands.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 02158  

Guadalupe fur seal pup sits on brown rocks along the coastline of Guadalupe Island.
Species: Guadalupe fur seal, Arctocephalus townsendi
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02441  

A SCUBA diver swimming over a rocky reef covered with kelp, watches a brightly colored orange garibaldi fish.
Species: Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 01113  

Oil Rig Ellen and Elly with invertebrate life growing on it and fish swimming around.
Species: Strawberry anemone, Corynactis californica
Location: Long Beach, California
Image ID: 34654