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  • Profile of a Japanese red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis). This is photo 1 in a sequence of 3 images that show this bird closing its nictitating membrane.
    grus-japonensis-nictitating-membrane...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with Hina Hina, humpback whale calf #1 of the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga. The juxtaposition of mother and calf shows the relative size between adult and baby.
    megaptera-novaeangliae-humpback-whal...tif
  • This sequence of ten photographs depicts a female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a breach. I took the photos in this sequence while in the water, using a fisheye lens, with a shutter speed of 1/6400 of a second to freeze the action. In spite of this, part of the second image in the sequence is blurry. This provides an indication of the incredible acceleration achieved during the beginning of a whale breach.
    humpback-whale-calf-breaching-sequen...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 1 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • An enormous mature bull sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) approaching 20m in length. This imposing bull approached to within two to three meters from me. At this proximity, the whale clanged loudly, which caused my ear canals to clear, as if I had executed a Valsalva maneuver. The mature male was associated with a group of females, at one point surfacing adjacent to a mature female. The male easily exceeded 1.5x the length of the female. Note the substantial scarring on the whale’s forehead, likely indicative of interactions with other males.
    enormous-mature-bull-sperm-whale-sri...tif
  • Hina Hina, humpback whale calf #1 in the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga
    humpback-whale-calf-megaptera-novaea...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 1 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • Student engaged in laborious and smelly task of cleaning rib bones of an 18-meter female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found in Tokyo Bay in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Vertebrae of exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) visible in the foreground, team of scientists, students and volunteers taking a break from the hard work in the backgound
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Pictured here are the rear vertebrae.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Examining and cleaning the large vertebrae comprising the central part of the spinal column of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Intricate pattern formed by the vertebrae comprising the neck area of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The whale's shoulder blades and some of its ribs are visible here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the long and heavy jaw bone of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Piecing together fragments of the spinal discs of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is time-consuming and tedious, requiring lots of concentration.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Proper preparations for lifting the upper skull of the whale from the excavation put were required to ensure integrity of the skull structure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Here, the vertebrae comprising the rear part of the whale are being cleaned.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Upper half of the skull of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The whale's vertebrae are visible here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Piecing together fragments of the spinal discs of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is time-consuming and tedious, but there are rewarding moments when a match is found.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Pictured here are the lower jaw bones.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Spinal disc and fragments from the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Part of the task was to re-assemble the fragement, much like working on a complex jigsaw puzzle.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here, with the bulldozer in the background that was used to exhume the whale carcass.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Gloves and a knife used in the cleaning of the fin whale (Balaennoptera physalus) carcass. Cleaning and preparing a whale skeleton is difficult and smelly work.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • The bone structure comprising the pectoral fins of a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) reflect the animal's link to terrestrial mammals.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lower jaw bones of an exhumed 18-meter long fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) carcass.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Examining and cleaning the large vertebrae comprising the forward portion of the spinal column of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Large vertebrae of the middle portion of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Proper preparations for lifting the upper skull of the whale from the excavation put were required to ensure integrity of the skull structure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Part of the vertebral structure of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Upper half of the skull of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • This is a pair of mature Japanese cranes (Grus japonensis) engaged in a pair-bonding performance in Hokkaido, Japan. This species is found in Siberia, Northeast China, Mongolia, Korea and northern Japan. The population in northern Japan is mostly non-migratory, remaining resident on the island of Hokkaido throughout the year. This species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
    grus-japonensis-japanese-red-crowned...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 6 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • A lone Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) holding its mouth open to feed on anchovies in the Gulf of Thailand, with birds swooping in to grab fish jumping out of the water.
    lone-eden-whale-mouth-open-feeding-2...tif
  • Scarring on the dorsal surface of a female humpback whale’s fluke, most likely rake marks left by marine mammal predators such as killer whales (Orcinus orca) or false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens). This female was seen with calves in Tonga in 2008 and 2009. The scarring on her fluke made her easy to recognize. Her 2009 calf is visible in this photo, hiding under the adult’s body.
    scarred-fluke-humpback-whale-with-ca...tif
  • Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) taking a breath at the ocean surface. Photographed in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-taking-breath-ocean-s...tif
  • Two of three humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) that breached in tandem for an extended period of time. Photographed in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whales-breaching-together-m...tif
  • This is the first verified sighting of a living humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Sri Lanka. This 8-9m juvenile male was alone, swimming from west to east just south of Mirissa. It was inquisitive and interactive, approaching the boat and taking time to play before heading past Dondra Head, then eastward along the coast. A comparison of this whale’s fluke with those of the resident population of humpbacks around Oman did not result in a match. Where this humpback came from and where it was going are a mystery.
    first-verified-humpback-whale-sighti...tif
  • Skeleton of a 46-foot male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Nantucket Historical Museum. This whale stranded on New Year's day 1998.
    sperm-whale-skeleton-nantucket-whali...tif
  • A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) entangled by longline fishing gear. This whale was still able to swim, but was very weak. The fishing line had immobilized both pectoral fins, slicing through them as is visible here. The whale was infested with whale lice (Cyamus boopis), and there were a number of large sharks trailing it, including tiger sharks and bronze whalers. Another healthy whale was accompanying this whale, though it was clearly unable to assist. This whale most likely died soon after this sighting.
    longline-fishing-gear-entanglement-h...tif
  • Fluke of a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) diving to forage for krill in deep water. Note the distinctive crease on the whale's dorsal surface, just behind the dorsal fin. This, plus several white spots on this whale's body (including the two white spots visible on the right fluke), made this individual easy to recognize. Photograph taken under permit.
    blue-whale-fluke-Balaenoptera-muscul...tif
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    dead-humpback-whale-calf-beached-in-...jpg
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    baleen-of-dead-humpback-whale-calf-b...jpg
  • Humpback whale calf playing at the surface, while its mother swims beneath, and an accompany escort is further down. This calf is male, and is the 3rd one I ID-ed in the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. The calf has a wound on its left abdomen that is visible in this photograph. It looks as if it may have been caused by a rope or line of some sort.
    humpback-whale-calf-playing-megapter...tif
  • This is Ikumi, the fifth humpback whale calf ID-ed during my 2010 humpback whale season in Tonga. Ikumi is a little female calf that was unusually friendly, with a relatively calm mother who let the calf play at the surface alone for extended periods of time. Here, the calf has just dived below to surface to swim down to her mother, just barely visible in the deep. I recorded ten encounters with this mother and calf over a 15-day period, the longest continuous stretch I've recorded to date with a given mother and calf pair. During the first encounters, Ikumi was too young to have developed clearly identifiable sexual characteristics. Toward the end of the 15-day period, Ikumi's mammary slits became visible, as in this photograph, making it possible to ascertain her sex.
    baby-humpback-whale-with-mammary-sli...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale swimming upside down near the surface. The whale's mammary glands are clearly visible adjacent to the genital slit.
    female-sperm-whale-mammary-slits-vis...tif
  • Inquisitive adult female sperm whale in the Indian Ocean, swimming underneath me to check me out using sonar. Sperm whales seem to swim upside-down frequently when they use sonar to investigate objects above them. Perhaps this position gives them optimal results.
    sperm-whale-swimming-upside-down-in-...tif
  • Sperm whales seem to pass gas and defecate a lot when they are at the surface. This is something I have observed consistently across different sperm whale populations. This is the largest quantity of excrement that I've seen from a sperm whale.
    sperm-whale-poop_201104_0724.tif
  • Group of sperm whales at the ocean surface, just before diving down
    sperm-whale-social-group-diving-2010...tif
  • Three sperm whales, the top one clearly a male, with protruding penis visible. Note also the white markings on the abdomen, which can be used to identify individual whales.
    three-sperm-whales-in-blue-water-201...tif
  • These are Japanese cranes (Grus japonensis) in flight.
    grus-japonensis-japanese-red-crowned...tif
  • During summer months, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) like the one pictured here often visit shallow water, which provides a shelter from potential predation by orcas. As seen in this photograph, the whales can swim in water that is only just deep enough for them not to become stranded. This individual is a member of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) commencing a dive. Note the muscularity powering the whale’s fluke, and the visibility of the rib structure. Classification of Bryde’s whales is difficult and uncertain due to insufficient study and information.
    balaenoptera-edeni-brydes-whale-2013...tif
  • This is a young Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in the Gulf of Thailand side-lunging through a mass of fish, likely Sardinella sp., that this whale and its mother had aggregated by swimming in a large circle. This circle and side-lunge technique has become the dominant foraging technique since 2017, replacing the open-mouth trap feeding strategy that had been prevalent since the 1990s. I believe this reflects a change of target prey. The whales adapt their foraging strategies to target species.
    balaenoptera-edeni-side-lunge-feedin...tif
  • This is an adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) at the ocean surface, with other members of her social unit visible in the background.
    sperm-whale-physeter-macrocephalus-o...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 3 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This is a piece of skin that was shed from the dorsal surface of the fluke of a female humpback whale. The whale repeatedly held her fluke above the surface of the ocean while resting in a head-down position, such that her body was oriented vertically in the water. There was significant peeling or shedding of skin from the fluke’s dorsal surface, most likely due to normal sloughing off of skin. I speculate that another possibility could be that the whale may have had sunburn as a consequence of her resting behaviour. Note the pattern of the skin. Date of encounter was 18 August 2017. See separate photos of fluke above water.
    humpback-whale-skin-201708-5917-5933.tif
  • This was part of a large gathering of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) comprising hundreds, perhaps thousands of individual whales that spanned horizon to horizon for nearly three days. This was likely a meeting of multiple social units in the same clan. Pictured here is one particularly large social cluster.  This image is licensed on an exclusive basis to BBC through 29 October 2021.
    sperm-whale-large-aggregation-201402...tif
  • Southern right whale female with calf (Eubalaena australis) in shallow coastal water
    southern-right-whale-female-calf-eub...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale spyhopping. This female had a male calf that was playing nearby.
    humpback-whale-spyhop-tonga-201708-1...tif
  • This is the carcass of a 12.8m female Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei) that was brought into port on the bow of the ship pictured here. Though the cause of death was not entirely clear, the ship was known to have traveled for four to five days from China to Thailand. The whale could have died from impact. There were signs of blunt trauma, including the broken pectoral fin, which can be seen here. The whale was covered with bite marks from cookie cutter sharks, indicating that it was probably not one of the Gulf of Thailand’s resident Eden’s whales.
    dead-brydes-whale-thailand-201611-00...tif
  • This is the carcass of a 12.8m female Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei) that was brought into port on the bow of the ship pictured here. Though the cause of death was not entirely clear, the ship was known to have traveled for four to five days from China to Thailand. The whale could have died from impact. There were signs of blunt trauma, including the broken pectoral fin, which can be seen here. The whale was covered with bite marks from cookie cutter sharks, indicating that it was probably not one of the Gulf of Thailand’s resident Eden’s whales.
    dead-brydes-whale-thailand-201611-00...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 7 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 2 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) social unit engaged in social activity, with one whale separated from the group while passing gas. Flatulence is common when sperm whales socialize near the ocean surface.
    sperm-whale-flatulence-socializing-d...tif
  • Humpback whales exhale forcefully when they breach, inhaling again prior to re-entering the water, as demonstrated by this playful calf. This young whale was with its mother and an escort. The escort was also engaged in energetic surface displays. The calf’s mother, however, did not engage in any surface behaviour.
    humpback-whale-calf-exhaling-while-b...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) opening his mouth at the surface while playing. His baleen is clearly visible. This opening of mouth behaviour by calves is often associated with periods of play following nursing.
    humpback-whale-calf-mouth-open-tonga...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from the water in perfect formation while engaged in social foraging, often referred to as bubble net feeding.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Close-up view of developing pectoral fin in prenatal sperm whale fetus. The developing bone structure of the pectoral fin is already clearly visible, even though the fetus is only 60-cm to 70cm in length, compared to a generally accepted birth size of 450cm. The origin of this specimen is not known. It was found among other preserved specimens in the teaching collection of a natural history museum.
    sperm-whale-fetus-pectoral-fin-20160...tif
  • Pronounced dorsal fin of a Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in the shallow waters of the upper Gulf of Thailand. This whale was one of three that were foraging on anchovies. This whale's name is Jao Taengthai.
    brydes-whale-dorsal-gulf-thailand-20...tif
  • Playful gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) interacting with tourist boat in Magdalena Bay, Baja, Mexico. The calf repeatedly opened its mouth while soliciting attention from boat passengers.
    gray-whale-calf-friendly-baja-mexico...tif
  • About 4% of southern right whale calves are born with white and black pigmentation. These are referred to as brindle calves, and are always male. As they mature, these calves darken, but never turn completely dark. The contrast in pigmentation and the characteristic dark patterns on their bodies make these individuals easy to identify. About 6% of the southern right population have a partial brindle pattern. All of the partial brindle animals are female. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    brindle-calf-southern-right-whale-eu...tif
  • This is milk that escaped from the mouth of a female humpback whale calf (a very white one that I nicknamed Snow White) after nursing from her mother. Calves often open their mouths and appear to gulp water after they nurse, possibly to flush excess milk. Note that the milk was thick and coagulated in the seawater. This makes sense, as the milk has a high fat content in order to support the high caloric demand of a growing calf.
    humpback-whale-milk-from-calf-201509...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing at the ocean surface. The young whale’s developing mammary slits are clearly visible.
    female-humpback-whale-calf-playing-t...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from beneath the protective cover of his mother’s pectoral fin, just before surfacing to breathe.
    humpback-whale-calf-emerging-from-be...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female calf engaged in tail slapping with her mother. Both the adult and calf had a lot of white on their bodies. I gave the calf the nickname Snow White. This was our second encounter with this female/ calf pair. On this occasion, there was no escort accompanying them. During our first meeting, there was an escort, which was also quite white.
    humpback-whale-female-and-calf-tail-...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that was with his mother and escort, opening his mouth while playing.
    humpback-whale-calf-mouth-open-tonga...tif
  • Fluke of a diving pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) with several remoras attached.
    blue-whale-fluke-with-remoras-201502...tif
  • A large aggregation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity. Note the abundance of sloughed off skin in the water, resulting from tactile contact among the whales. Peeling skin is apparent on the individuals in the center of this image. Note also the cloud of defecation. These whales had just emerged from milling around in a gigantic cluster, with many of the whales defecating to such an extent that the water was opaque. This photograph was the winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category of the 53rd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2017 (#WPY53) organized by the Natural History Museum in London.
    superpod-aggregation-sperm-whales-de...tif
  • A relaxed humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) escort pirouetting, with female and calf visible in the background.
    humpback-whale-escort-and-female-wit...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother and calf accompanied by an escort with a white pectoral fin. Photographed in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-escort-wh...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) spitting out water while executing a forward breach.
    humpback-whale-spitting-water-forwar...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) executing a forward face-flop breach.
    humpback-whale-forward-breach-tonga-...tif
  • Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei) with multiple wounds from cookiecutter shark bites (Isistius brasiliensis). Photographed in the Ogasawara (Bonin Islands), Japan.
    brydes-whale-cookiecutter-shark-bite...tif
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Tony Wu Underwater Photography

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