Underwater photos

South Pacific Humpback Whales Underwater, Moorea, French Polynesia. A short-finned pilot whale photo-bombs in the background.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Moorea, French Polynesia, France
Image ID: 40655  

Tiger shark.
Species: Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 31883  

Blue whale underwater photo showing entire whale head (rostrum) to tail (fluke). This picture of a blue whale shows it swimming through the open ocean, a rare underwater view. Specialized underwater camera gear, including an extremely wide lens, was used to capture the entire enormous whale in a single photograph.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: California
Image ID: 27300  

A great white shark swims underwater through the ocean at Guadalupe Island.
Species: Great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 21347  

Blue shark underneath drift kelp, open ocean.
Species: Blue shark, Prionace glauca
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 01006  

A blue shark swims through the open ocean in search of prey, backlit by the sunset.
Species: Blue shark, Prionace glauca
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 02286  

Caribbean reef shark, ampullae of Lorenzini visible on snout.
Species: Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezi
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 10550  

Australian Sea Lion Underwater, Grindal Island. Australian sea lions are the only endemic pinniped in Australia, and are found along the coastlines and islands of south and west Australia.
Species: Australian Sea Lion, Neophoca cinearea
Location: Grindal Island, South Australia
Image ID: 39156  

Sperm whale underwater, Physeter macrocephalus. Sperm whales are found year-round in the abyssal trench alongside the island of Dominica since this is where they forage for deep-sea squid.
Species: Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
Location: Dominica
Image ID: 41461  

The Fish Eating Anemone Urticina piscivora, a large colorful anemone found on the rocky underwater reefs of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Species: Fish-eating anemone, Urticina piscivora
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 35255  

Plexauridae sea fan or gorgonian on coral reef. This gorgonian is a type of colonial alcyonacea soft coral that filters plankton from passing ocean currents.
Species: Gorgonian, Gorgonacea
Location: Vatu I Ra Passage, Bligh Waters, Viti Levu Island, Fiji
Image ID: 34707  

Pink Soft Coral, Gersemia Rubiformis, Browning Pass, Vancouver Island.
Species: Pink soft coral, Gersemia rubiformis
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 35254  

Solitary inquisitive humpback whale underwater near the island of Moorea, French Polynesia.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Moorea, French Polynesia, France
Image ID: 41329  

Adams River sockeye salmon. A female sockeye salmon swims upstream in the Adams River to spawn, having traveled hundreds of miles upstream from the ocean.
Species: Sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka
Location: Adams River, Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 26161  

The bright orange garibaldi fish, California's state marine fish, is also clownlike in appearance.
Species: Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus
Location: California
Image ID: 02416  

Tiger shark.
Species: Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier
Location: Bahamas
Image ID: 10648  

Australian Sea Lions in Kelp, Grindal Island. Australian sea lions are the only endemic pinniped in Australia, and are found along the coastlines and islands of south and west Australia.
Species: Australian Sea Lion, Neophoca cinearea
Location: Grindal Island, South Australia
Image ID: 39163  

Australian Sea Lion Underwater, Grindal Island. Australian sea lions are the only endemic pinniped in Australia, and are found along the coastlines and islands of south and west Australia.
Species: Australian Sea Lion, Neophoca cinearea
Location: Grindal Island, South Australia
Image ID: 39164  

Brilliantly colorful coral reef, with swarms of anthias fishes and soft corals, Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya, Pseudanthias
Location: Bligh Waters, Fiji
Image ID: 34708  

Closeup view of colorful dendronephthya soft corals, reaching out into strong ocean currents to capture passing planktonic food, Fiji.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Bligh Waters, Fiji
Image ID: 34713  

Dendronephthya soft coral detail including polyps and calcium carbonate spicules, Fiji.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Namena Marine Reserve, Namena Island, Fiji
Image ID: 34715  

A beautiful golden-brown female California Sea Lion at the Coronado Islands, posing on a carpet of purple marine algae, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 38559  

Giant black sea bass, endangered species, reaching up to 8' in length and 500 lbs, amid giant kelp forest.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33354  

Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33433  

Blue whales, adult and juvenile (likely mother and calf), swimming together side by side underwater in the open ocean.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34568  

Sunset light and acropora table coral on pristine tropical reef. Table coral competes for space on the coral reef by growing above and spreading over other coral species keeping them from receiving sunlight.
Location: Wakaya Island, Lomaiviti Archipelago, Fiji
Image ID: 31315  

Adult male humpback whale bubble streaming underwater. The male escort humpback whale seen here is emitting a curtain of bubbles as it swims behind a mother and calf. The bubble curtain may be meant as warning or visual obstruction to other nearby male whales interested in the mother.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 05925  

Garibaldi and golden gorgonian, with a underwater forest of giant kelp rising in the background, underwater.
Species: California golden gorgonian, Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus, Muricea californica
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 23432  

Blue whales feeding on krill underwater closeup photo. A picture of a blue whale with its throat pleats inflated with a mouthful of krill. A calf swims behind and below the adult. Over 80' long and just a few feet from the camera, an extremely wide lens was used to photograph the entire enormous whale.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: California
Image ID: 27314  

Galapagos penguin, underwater, swimming. Bartolome Island.
Species: Galapagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus
Location: Bartolome Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Image ID: 16234