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| Bull elephant seal exits the water to retake his position on the beach. He shows considerable scarring on his chest and proboscis from many winters fighting other males for territory and rights to a harem of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 15458 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight in the surf for access for mating females that are in estrous. Such fighting among elephant seals can take place on the beach or in the water. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Image ID: 20369 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 15394 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 20388 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 35135 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Image ID: 35147 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Image ID: 35149 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Central California. Image ID: 15387 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | This bull elephant seal, an old adult male, shows extreme scarring on his chest and proboscis from many winters fighting other males for territory and rights to a harem of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 15388 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 15408 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seal rears up on its foreflippers and bellows to intimidate other males and to survey its beach territory. Winter, Central California. Image ID: 15521 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight in the surf for access for mating females that are in estrous. Such fighting among elephant seals can take place on the beach or in the water. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Image ID: 20370 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Image ID: 20371 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Northern elephant seal, mother and neonate pup, gulls eating placenta. Image ID: 00945 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Flamingo tongue snail. Image ID: 02554 Species: Flamingo tongue cowrie, Cyphoma gibbosum Location: Roatan, Honduras |
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| Flamingo tongue snail. Image ID: 02567 Species: Flamingo tongue cowrie, Cyphoma gibbosum Location: Roatan, Honduras | A bull elephant seal (adult male) surveys the beach. The huge proboscis is characteristic of the species. Scarring from combat with other males. Central California. Image ID: 15460 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seal rears up on its foreflippers and bellows to intimidate other males and to survey its beach territory. Winter, Central California. Image ID: 15489 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| Gray whale, raising its fluke (tail) before diving to the ocean floor to forage for crustaceans, , Cow Bay, Flores Island, near Tofino, Clayoquot Sound, west coast of Vancouver Island. Image ID: 21173 Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus Location: Cow Bay, Flores Island, British Columbia, Canada | Gray whale dorsal ridge (back) at the surface in front of a boat full of whale watchers, Cow Bay, Flores Island, near Tofino, Clayoquot Sound, west coast of Vancouver Island. Image ID: 21180 Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus Location: Cow Bay, Flores Island, British Columbia, Canada | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 35142 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Image ID: 35143 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 35144 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California. Image ID: 35150 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Image ID: 35152 Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Image ID: 20377 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight in the surf for access for mating females that are in estrous. Such fighting among elephant seals can take place on the beach or in the water. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Image ID: 20407 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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| Elephant seals in the surf, showing extreme dimorphism, males (5000 lb) are triple the size of females (1700 lb). Central California. Image ID: 15497 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | 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. Image ID: 21184 Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus Location: Cow Bay, Flores Island, British Columbia, Canada | Elephant seal mother and pup vocalize to one another constantly, likely to reassure the pup and confirm the maternal identity on a crowded beach. Central California. Image ID: 15421 Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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