Search results for National Marine Sanctuaries

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Humpback whale competitive group, underwater, swimming quickly and one trailing a stream of bubbles, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
Large competitive group of humpback whales seen underwater, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
Adult male humpback whale bubble streaming underwater. The male escort humpback whale seen here is emitting a curtain of bubbles as it swims behind a mother and calf. The bubble curtain may be meant as warning or visual obstruction to other nearby male whales interested in the mother, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
North Pacific humpback whales, part of a larger competitive group of humpbacks, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
North Pacific humpback whale, peduncle throw, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
Polyp of a strawberry anemone (club-tipped anemone, more correctly a corallimorph), Corynactis californica, San Miguel Island
Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, Maui
Sea otters mating. The male holds the female's head or nose with his jaws during copulation. Visible scars are often present on females from this behavior. Sea otters have a polygynous mating system. Many males actively defend territories and will mate with females that inhabit their territory or seek out females in estrus if no territory is established. Males and females typically bond for the duration of estrus, or about 3 days, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
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, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
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, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
Humpback whale competitive group, several adult male escort whales swimming closely together as part of a larger competitive group, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
North Pacific humpback whales, socializing trio of adults, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
A California sea lion plays with a piece of kelp, underwater at Santa Barbara Island. Santa Barbara Island, 38 miles off the coast of southern California, is part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park. It is home to a large population of sea lions, Zalophus californianus
North Pacific humpback whales, a mother and young calf swim near scientific research divers, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
California sea lion, with monofiliment cut, on the Monterey Breakwater, Zalophus californianus
Gray whale, blow, Eschrichtius robustus, Big Sur, California
Humpback whale competitive group, several adult male escort whales swimming closely together as part of a larger competitive group, Megaptera novaeangliae, Maui
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, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
A sea otter, resting on its back, holding its paw out of the water for warmth. While the sea otter has extremely dense fur on its body, the fur is less dense on its head, arms and paws so it will hold these out of the cold water to conserve body heat, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Elephant seals crowd a sand beach at the Piedras Blancas rookery near San Simeon
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, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Kelp Forest, Santa Barbara Island
Kelp fronds showing pneumatocysts, bouyant gas-filled bubble-like structures which float the kelp plant off the ocean bottom toward the surface, where it will spread to form a roof-like canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island
Kelp fronds showing pneumatocysts, bouyant gas-filled bubble-like structures which float the kelp plant off the ocean bottom toward the surface, where it will spread to form a roof-like canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island
Chestnut cowry, Cypraea spadicea, San Diego, California
Green sea turtle foraging for algae on coral reef, Chelonia mydas, West Maui, Hawaii, Chelonia mydas
Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas, West Maui, Hawaii, Chelonia mydas
Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas, West Maui, Hawaii, Chelonia mydas
Green sea turtle foraging for algae on coral reef, Chelonia mydas, West Maui, Hawaii, Chelonia mydas
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