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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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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. 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. The lower jaw bones are pictured 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. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale 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
  • 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
  • Lower jaw bones of an exhumed 18-meter long fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) carcass.
    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. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured 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 whale's vertebrae 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 whale's shoulder blades and some of its ribs 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
  • 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
  • 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. Pictured here are the lower jaw bones.
    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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • This is a female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) playing at the ocean surface, her mother visible in the background. The calf has just used her powerful fluke to spin herself in a circular motion, pivoting around her center of mass. The calf's mammary slits are visible. Exuberant activity like this is vital to the calf's physical development in preparation for the long journey to the feeding grounds. Photographed in the Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-playing-2...tif
  • These are Japanese cranes (Grus japonensis) in flight.
    grus-japonensis-japanese-red-crowned...tif
  • This is the view from beneath a male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing at the ocean surface. The calf had just lifted its caudal region out of the water, then flipped over so that his belly was facing upward while he spun his body around. This had the effect of whipping his fluke in a circle, leaving a wake of bubbles, froth and whitewater as seen here. This type of play behavior is typical among healthy humpback whale calves.
    humpback-whale-calf-male-playing-ton...tif
  • This bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a part of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation, with population estimates in the low hundreds. This individual was turned upside-down while performing loud percussive slaps on the ocean surface with the dorsal surface of its fluke. Orca rake marks are visible on the corners of the whale’s fluke. The whale was part of a large social gathering, comprising well over 50 whales. This whale’s tail slapping could be heard for a long distance. When this whale stopped, the gathering dissolved, with whales breaking moving away as singles and in smaller groups.
    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 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
  • Breaching humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) demonstrating incredible power as it launches itself from the ocean
    humpback-whale-breaching-201608-3916.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
  • 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 an adult female humpback whale that 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, as seen in this photo. Though the peeling was most likely due to normal sloughing off of skin, it was reminiscent of how human skin peels when sunburned. I speculate that another possibility could be that the whale may have had sunburn as a consequence of her resting behaviour. Date of encounter was 18 August 2017. See separate detail photograph of skin recovered from the fluke of this whale.
    humpback-whale-fluke-sunburn-peeling...tif
  • A male and female humpback whale pair, with the female above showing her abdomen and the male below.
    humpback-whale-male-female-courtship...tif
  • Close-up view of defecation by an adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Defecation at the surface is routine behavior for sperm whales. Defecation is an indication that the whale has been feeding successfully.
    sperm-whale-defecation-close-up-2016...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
  • 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
  • A preserved sperm whale fetus (male), measuring 60cm to 70cm. Sperm whales are generally thought to be born at a length of around 450cm. Though only a fraction of estimated birth size, this fetus is fully formed. The origin of this specimen is unknown, though it likely originated from a necropsy performed during the industrial whaling period. This fetus was found among other preserved animals in the teaching collection of a natural history museum.
    sperm-whale-fetus-201606-2297.tif
  • Skeleton of female sperm whale, dubbed Jubilee, on display at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore. This 10.6m adult whale was found off Jurong Island in July 2015, with a wound in the caudal area that may have been caused by a ship propellor. During the necropsy, plastics were also found in her gastrointestinal system.
    lkcnhm-sperm-whale-201604.tif
  • Bryde’s whale defecating (Balaenoptera edeni) after coming up from feeding
    brydes-whale-defecating-201502-2100.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
  • 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
  • Inquisitive sperm whale calf (Physeter macrocephalus) approaching with mouth open and buzzing me with bio-sonar. This calf was part of a family unit that had three juvenile whales in it. The family unit was one of many that gathered for a large social event comprising hundreds, perhaps thousands of sperm whales. This image is licensed on an exclusive basis to BBC through 29 October 2021.
    sperm-whale-family-unit-juvenile-mou...tif
  • This was my ninth and final sighting of injured male humpback whale calf Tahafa (201114). I took this photograph in Vava’u, after seeing this calf and his mother twice at Toku Island, which is approximately 40km away. By this stage, the calf seems to have completely overcome the trauma of being attacked and injured at an early age. He was playful, energetic, and proactively sought attention. His mother was relaxed throughout this final encounter.
    injured-humpback-whale-calf-tahafa-b...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
  • 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
  • Intimate contact between two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in courtship. The whale with the white pectoral fin is the male, the female on top. Such physical contact characterized this extended encounter with these two whales. One or both of the whales also made low, gurgling sounds that came across as lovey-dovey sounds, for lack of a better term.
    intimate-contact-humpback-whales-cou...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
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female breaching together with her male calf. The calf had a large wound on his left peduncle area, one that appeared to be the result of a large bite. It was healing well. The calf had a propensity to stray for substantial distances from his mother. He was also thin for his size, though highly energetic.
    humpback-whale-female-breaching-with...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
  • Female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with the right side of her fluke severed. This whale is known as konga hiku, which means half tail in Tongan.
    injured-fluke-humpback-whale-tonga-2...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with a split dorsal fin. This characteristic shows up every once in a while among the whales that visit Vava'u in the Kingdom of Tonga.
    split-dorsal-fin-humpback-whale-tong...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    breaching-humpback-whale-megaptera-n...tif
  • Part of the spinal column and vertebrae of a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) on a rocky short along the Northwest Passage that passes above Somerset Island in Nunavut Province, Canada
    bowhead-whale-bones-balaena-mysticet...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with significant scarring on its dorsal surface. Note the fresh scar along the dorsal ridge near the right edge of the image. Like a prism, the whale's breath has split the sunlight into a rainbow.
    humpback-whale-dorsal-scarring-rainb...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
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera noavaeangliae) nursing in dark water with low visibility. Humpback whale females with calves seem to have an affinity for resting in areas of low visibility around the islands of the Vava'u island group in the Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-nursing-tonga-me...tif
  • Pandemonium and commotion among a group of socializing sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)
    sperm-whale-social-group-physeter-ma...tif
  • A large group of humpback whales breathing together in between periods of cooperative hunting with bubble nets to herd schools of fish together. The whales typically rest like this after each successful hunt.
    humpback-whales-breathing-resting-bu...tif
  • This is blue whale feces, discharged by a whale that had surfaced after feeding on krill in deep water in southern Sri Lanka. The neon red-orange color of the defecation is due to the whale's krill-based diet. The feces dissolve rapidly, as is apparent from the fizzing around the large clumps in this image. Photo taken under permit.
    blue-whale-feces-krill-Balaenoptera-...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
  • Researchers measuring fluke of 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. Members of the science community recording measurements for Japan's cetacean stranding database.
    201201_Japan_Humpback_Whale_Calf_Str...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 (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 (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf slapping its tail at the ocean surface. The calf was playing together with its mother, which is common behavior for humpback whale mother and calf pairs. This calf, which I named Orion, was the 13th calf I counted in the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-tail-slap-megapt...tif
  • 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
  • A pair of blue whales swimming in blue water of the Indian Ocean. This may be the pygmy sub-species of blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda. They were engaged in social activity at the surface, and were relaxed when they swam past. I estimate that the whales were between 20 and 25 meters long.
    pygmy-blue-whales-in-sri-lanka-20110...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
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) diving during a heat run. Note that the arc of the whale's dive is greater/ steeper than with a normal dive during a non-hormone-charged situation
    humpback-whale-heat-run-fluke-200508...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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Golden light from the setting summer sun in Alaska producing a warm rainbow of color in the breath of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira)
    humpback-whale-rainbow-breath-alaska...tif
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Tony Wu Underwater Photography

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