Cetacean photos

A humpback whale raises it fluke out of the water, the coast of Del Mar and La Jolla is visible in the distance.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Del Mar, California
Image ID: 27142  

Pacific white sided dolphin carrying drift kelp.
Species: Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 00043  

A neonate gray whale calf, born just hours before, still exhbiting embryonic folds in the skin along its side. This baby gray whale was born in the cold waters of Big Sur, far to the north of the Mexican lagoons of Baja California where most gray whale births take place.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Location: Monterey, California
Image ID: 01135  

Humpback whale breaching, pectoral fin and rostrom visible.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 27955  

Blue whale, exhaling in a huge blow as it swims at the surface between deep dives. The blue whale's blow is a combination of water spray from around its blowhole and condensation from its warm breath.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34560  

Blue whale, exhaling in a huge blow as it swims at the surface between deep dives. The blue whale's blow is a combination of water spray from around its blowhole and condensation from its warm breath.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34564  

Aerial photo of gray whale calf and mother. This baby gray whale was born during the southern migration, far to the north of the Mexican lagoons of Baja California where most gray whale births take place.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Location: San Clemente, California
Image ID: 29001  

Gray whale blowing at the ocean surface, exhaling and breathing as it prepares to dive underwater.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Location: Encinitas, California
Image ID: 29045  

Adult male killer whale, tall dorsal fin, Palos Verdes.
Species: Killer whale, Orcinus orca
Location: Palos Verdes, California
Image ID: 30435  

A humpback whale raises it fluke out of the water, the coast of Del Mar and La Jolla is visible in the distance.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Del Mar, California
Image ID: 27130  

Saddle patch and dorsal fins of killer whales, Palos Verdes.
Species: Killer whale, Orcinus orca
Location: Palos Verdes, California
Image ID: 30421  

Fin whale dorsal fin. The fin whale is named for its tall, falcate dorsal fin. Mariners often refer to them as finback whales. Coronado Islands, Mexico (northern Baja California, near San Diego).
Species: Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 12769  

Bottlenose dolphins swim through red tide, hunt a school of fish, lit by glowing bioluminescence caused by microscopic Lingulodinium polyedrum dinoflagellate organisms which glow blue when agitated at night.
Species: Lingulodinium polyedrum
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 27066  

Blue whale, the largest animal ever to inhabit earth, swims through the open ocean, underwater view.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Image ID: 01902  

A huge blue whale swims through the open ocean in this underwater photograph. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34565  

Killer Whale, Biggs Transient Orca, Palos Verdes.
Species: Killer whale, Orcinus orca
Location: Palos Verdes, California
Image ID: 30422  

Killer whale attacking sea lion. Biggs transient orca and California sea lion.
Species: California sea lion, Killer whale, Orcinus orca, Zalophus californianus
Location: Palos Verdes, California
Image ID: 30427  

Rissos dolphin. 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 usually almost entirely white.
Species: Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 12799  

Atlantic spotted dolphin.
Species: Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 00676  

Sperm whale.
Species: Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
Location: Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Image ID: 02078  

Atlantic spotted dolphin, Olympic swimmer Matt Biondi.
Species: Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 00009  

Pacific white sided dolphin, carrying drift kelp.
Species: Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 00046  

Rissos dolphin, breaching. 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. San Diego.
Species: Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 00983  

Gray whale.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Location: Monterey, California
Image ID: 01190  

Bottlenose dolphin, breaching the surface of the ocean, offshore of San Diego.
Species: Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 26805  

Bottlenose dolphin, bubbles forming in its exhalation just below the surface of the ocean, offshore of San Diego.
Species: Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 26806  

Common dolphin at the edge of the ocean.
Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Image ID: 27017  

Water falling from a blue whale fluke as the whale dives to forage for food in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: Santa Rosa Island, California
Image ID: 27023  

Pacific bottlenose dolphin breaches the ocean surface as it leaps and takes a breath. Open ocean near San Diego.
Species: Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 07158  

Common dolphin leaping.
Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 19485