Natural History Photography

California brown pelican orange morph, preening its feathers while on cliffs over the ocean. While this adult brown pelican exhibits the brown hind neck of a breeding adult, it displays an unusual orange throat rather than the more typical red.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38688

Spectacular Brown Pelican Head Throw Display. This California brown pelican extends its head and bill up and back, stretching its neck and pouch in a behavior known as a head throw or bill throw. Adult winter breeding plumage. Pelican yoga, High Mountain pose, Tadasan.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38691

A brown pelican preening, uropygial gland (preen gland) visible near the base of its tail. Preen oil from the uropygial gland is spread by the pelican's beak and back of its head to all other feathers on the pelican, helping to keep them water resistant and dry. Note adult winter breeding plumage in display, with brown neck, red gular throat pouch and yellow and white head. This adult is just transitioning to the brown hind neck that characterizes breeding brown pelicans.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36682

Bridalveil Falls with a rainbow forming in its spray, dropping 620 into Yosemite Valley, displaying peak water flow in spring months from deep snowpack and warm weather melt. Yosemite Valley.
Location: Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 16160

Panorama of the Wave. The Wave is a sweeping, dramatic display of eroded sandstone, forged by eons of water and wind erosion, laying bare striations formed from compacted sand dunes over millenia. This panoramic picture is formed from thirteen individual photographs.
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona
Image ID: 20700
Panorama dimensions: 4661 x 25458

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter non-breeding plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch but white hind neck.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 28332

Pacific white sided dolphin carrying drift kelp, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, San Diego, California

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

Galapagos sea lion playing with puffer fish, Zalophus californianus wollebacki, Zalophus californianus wollebaeki, Cousins

Galapagos sea lion playing with puffer fish.
Species: Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus californianus wollebacki, Zalophus californianus wollebaeki
Location: Cousins, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 02252

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch. This adult is just transitioning to the brown hind neck characteristic of the brown pelican breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30255

Ancient bristlecone pine trees in Patriarch Grove, display characteristic gnarled, twisted form as it rises above the arid, dolomite-rich slopes of the White Mountains at 11000-foot elevation. Patriarch Grove, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
Species: Ancient bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva
Location: White Mountains, Inyo National Forest, California
Image ID: 28526

Steller sea lion underwater bubble display, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada, Eumetopias jubatus

Steller sea lion underwater bubble display, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Location: Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 32802

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter breeding plumage with distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter breeding plumage with distinctive dark brown nape, yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 22529

Racetrack Playa, an ancient lake now dried and covered with dessicated mud, Death Valley National Park, California

Racetrack Playa, an ancient lake now dried and covered with dessicated mud.
Location: Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California
Image ID: 25263

Brown pelican portrait, scratching throat pouch, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and red gular throat pouch but not yet displaying the brown hind neck feathers.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 28329

A sliding rock of the Racetrack Playa. The sliding rocks, or sailing stones, move across the mud flats of the Racetrack Playa, leaving trails behind in the mud. The explanation for their movement is not known with certainty, but many believe wind pushes the rocks over wet and perhaps icy mud in winter.
Location: Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California
Image ID: 25239

Vibrant displays of color among dendronephthya soft corals on South Pacific reef, reaching out into strong ocean currents to capture passing planktonic food, Fiji.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Vatu I Ra Passage, Bligh Waters, Viti Levu Island, Fiji
Image ID: 34882

Young California sea lions playing underwater, Coronados Islands, Baja California, Mexico, Zalophus californianus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)

Young California sea lions playing underwater, Coronados Islands, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 35853

California Sea Lions Playing with Kelp, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico, Zalophus californianus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)

California Sea Lions Playing with Kelp, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 36535

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and colorful gular throat pouch, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown pelican portrait, displaying winter plumage with distinctive yellow head feathers and colorful gular throat pouch.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36684

California sea lions playing underwater, socializing at North Coronado Island, Baja California, Mexico, Zalophus californianus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)

California sea lions playing underwater, socializing at North Coronado Island, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39770

Two Young California Sea Lions at Play Underwater in the Coronado Islands, Mexico, Zalophus californianus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)

Two Young California Sea Lions at Play Underwater in the Coronado Islands, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39961

Young California Sea Lions at Play Underwater in the Coronado Islands, Mexico. Pups spend much of their time playing with one another in the water, strengthening their swimming skills and mock jousting.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 40723

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