Sandy Bottom Photos

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Mother and calf southern right whales underwater, swimming over sandy shallow bottom, Eubalaena australis, Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Mother and calf southern right whales underwater, swimming over sandy shallow bottom.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 38306  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21612  
California bat ray, laying on sandy ocean bottom amid kelp and rocky reef, Myliobatis californica, San Clemente Island
California bat ray, laying on sandy ocean bottom amid kelp and rocky reef.
Species: California bat ray, Myliobatis californica
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 25437  
California bat ray, laying on sandy ocean bottom amid kelp and rocky reef, Myliobatis californica, San Clemente Island
California bat ray, laying on sandy ocean bottom amid kelp and rocky reef.
Species: California bat ray, Myliobatis californica
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 25438  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21609  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21622  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21640  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21652  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21660  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21661  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21662  
Speckled sanddab, which can alter its color and pattern to better camoflage itself against the sandy bottom on which it lies, Citharichthys stigmaeus
Speckled sanddab, which can alter its color and pattern to better camoflage itself against the sandy bottom on which it lies.
Species: Speckled sanddab, Citharichthys stigmaeus
Image ID: 14498  
Speckled sanddab, which can alter its color and pattern to better camoflage itself against the sandy bottom on which it lies, Citharichthys stigmaeus
Speckled sanddab, which can alter its color and pattern to better camoflage itself against the sandy bottom on which it lies.
Species: Speckled sanddab, Citharichthys stigmaeus
Image ID: 14499  
Speckled sanddab, which can alter its color and pattern to better camoflage itself against the sandy bottom on which it lies, Citharichthys stigmaeus
Speckled sanddab, which can alter its color and pattern to better camoflage itself against the sandy bottom on which it lies.
Species: Speckled sanddab, Citharichthys stigmaeus
Image ID: 14554  
Drift kelp has washed ashore on a sandy California beach. Winter brings large surf and increased wave energy which often rips giant kelp from the ocean bottom, so that it floats down current, often washing ashore, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Barbara
Drift kelp has washed ashore on a sandy California beach. Winter brings large surf and increased wave energy which often rips giant kelp from the ocean bottom, so that it floats down current, often washing ashore.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Image ID: 14884  
Squid egg casings. Each casing housings hundreds of tiny squid eggs. After the female squid has planted her egg casings to the sandy bottom, she will die, Loligo opalescens
Squid egg casings. Each casing housings hundreds of tiny squid eggs. After the female squid has planted her egg casings to the sandy bottom, she will die.
Species: Common squid, Loligo opalescens
Image ID: 14931  
Sand, water and light
Sand, water and light.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 00304  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 00701  
Squid mating and laying eggs, eggs on sandy bottom, Loligo opalescens, La Jolla, California
Squid mating and laying eggs, eggs on sandy bottom.
Species: Common squid, Loligo opalescens
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 02547  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 03185  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 03186  
Water patterns
Water patterns.
Image ID: 03187  
Water, sand and light, Sea of Cortez, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico
Water, sand and light.
Location: Sea of Cortez, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 04769  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns, Sea of Cortez, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Sea of Cortez, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 04770  
Sand ripples
Sand ripples.
Image ID: 05648  
Sand ripples
Sand ripples.
Image ID: 05649  
Sand, water and light
Sand, water and light.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 05657  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 05658  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 05659  
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns
Sunlight spreads across broad sand plains, trochoidal patterns.
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 05662  
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All photographs copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.