Divers Swim Over the Wreck of the HMCS Yukon in San Diego. Deliberately sunk in 2000 at San Diego's Wreck Alley to form an artifical reef, the HMCS Yukon is a 366-foot-long former Canadian destroyer. It is encrusted with a variety of invertebrate life, including Cornyactis anemones which provide much of the color seen here.
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 39475
Adult Male California Sea Lion with Several Young Pups, Mexico. This male sea lion is not yet large and mature enough to form his own harem so he swims at the underwater periphery of the territories of the more established males to see what females he can approach without being challenged and chased off by a bigger male.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39957
Large Adult Male California Sea Lion Bull Underwater, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the prominent bump on the top of his head, is clearly seen. A few bubbles trail behind him because he typically barks underwater as he swims. This bull had assembled a large group of adult females and remained in a 75-yard stretch of rocky shoreline to guard them from other males. Here he is seen patrolling the underwater perimeter of his harem territory, something he does often.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39986
Anthias fairy basslet fish school over a Fijian coral reef, polarized and swimming together again a strong current. Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Pseudanthias
Location: Fiji
Image ID: 31426
Anthias fairy basslet fish school over a Fijian coral reef, polarized and swimming together again a strong current. Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Pseudanthias
Location: Fiji
Image ID: 31427
Two giant black sea bass swim in a courtship circle, part of a larger gathering of a mating aggregation amid kelp forest, Catalina Island. In summer months, black seabass gather in kelp forests in California to form mating aggregations. Courtship behaviors include circling of pairs of giant sea bass, production of booming sounds by presumed males, and nudging of females by males in what is though to be an effort to encourage spawning.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33357
A male giant sea bass nudges a female giant sea bass to encourage spawning as they swim in a tight circle. This courting pair of giant sea bass is deep in the kelp forest at Catalina Island. In summer months, giant sea bass gather in kelp forests in California to form courtship and mating aggregations, eventually leading to spawning.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33364
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: 05928
A young Pacific Harbor Seal pup nursing. Mother harbor seals will only nurse their pups for about four to six weeks, at which point the small seal is weaned and must begin to forage and fend for itself. That short period of time is crucial for the young seal to learn how to hunt, socialize and swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39063
A young Pacific Harbor Seal pup nursing. Mother harbor seals will only nurse their pups for about four to six weeks, at which point the small seal is weaned and must begin to forage and fend for itself. That short period of time is crucial for the young seal to learn how to hunt, socialize and swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39082
A newborn harbor seal pup in the water at the oceans edge, born just moments before in the ocean and immediately able to swim ashore. The pups placenta and mother are seen in the background.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39100
Newborn harbor seal pup just a few minutes old, has already taken to the water to learn to swim and forage. Here it is coming ashore on a sand beach, splashed by small wave as it emerges from the ocean.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39102
A young Pacific Harbor Seal pup nursing. Mother harbor seals will only nurse their pups for about four to six weeks, at which point the small seal is weaned and must begin to forage and fend for itself. That short period of time is crucial for the young seal to learn how to hunt, socialize and swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39105
A newborn harbor seal pup rests alongside its mother, as placenta is born from the mother just a few moments after the pup was born. Within an hour of being born, this pup had learned to nurse and had entered the ocean for its first swim.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39110