The Virgin River Narrows, where the Virgin River has carved deep, narrow canyons through the Zion National Park sandstone, creating one of the finest hikes in the world.
Location: Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah
Image ID: 28583
Closeup Portrait of the Face of a Giant Black Sea Bass, showing parasitic sea lice. These parasites find their nutrition from the skin and blood of the host giant sea bass. Smaller fishes such as senoritas and wrasses will commonly clean the sea lice off the giant sea bass.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39436
Chocolate lily growing among grasses on oak-covered hillsides. The chocolate lily is a herbaceous perennial monocot that is increasingly difficult to find in the wild due to habitat loss. The flower is a striking brown color akin to the color of chocolate.
Location: Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, Murrieta, California
Image ID: 33151
A California sea lions leap high out of the water, jumping clear of a wave while bodysurfing at Boomer Beach in La Jolla.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40823
Three California sea lions bodysurf together, suspended in the face of a big wave, Boomer Beach, La Jolla.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38991
California sea lions bodysurfing and leaping way out of the water, in La Jolla at Boomer Beach.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38998
California sea lion bodysurfing in La Jolla, surfing huge waves close to shore at Boomer Beach.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39121
North Pacific humpback whale showing extensive scarring, almost certainly from a boat propeller, on dorsal ridge. This female North Pacific humpback whale was first seen with the depicted lacerations near the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-90s, and is the original humpback to bear the name 'Blade Runner'. This female has apparently recovered, as evidenced the calf she was observed nurturing. A South Pacific humpback whale endured a similar injury in Sydney Australia in 2001, and bears a remarkably similar scar pattern to the above-pictured whale.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 05909