Young Photos

North Pacific humpback whales, a mother and calf pair swim closely together just under the surface of the ocean. The calf will remain with its mother for about a year, migrating from Hawaii to Alaska to feed on herring.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 00140  

Two blue whales, a mother and her calf, swim through the open ocean in this aerial photograph. The calf is blowing (spouting, exhaling) with a powerful column of spray. The blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
Species: Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 02304  

Portrait of a young brown bear, pausing while grazing in tall sedge grass. Brown bears can consume 30 lbs of sedge grass daily, waiting weeks until spawning salmon fill the rivers.
Species: Brown bear, Ursus arctos
Location: Lake Clark National Park, Alaska
Image ID: 19135  

Young California sea lion pups underwater, Sea of Cortez, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31209  

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: 35854  

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  

Double side-eye from two young California sea lions resting on a reef in La Jolla.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 34273  

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 38655  

Mother sea lion teaches her young pup to bodysurf on waves.
Species: California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 40169  

Pacific Harbor Seal Pup in La Jolla About Three Weeks Old, hauled out on a white sand beach along the coast of San Diego. This young seal will be weaned off its mothers milk and care when it is about four to six weeks old, and before that time it must learn how to forage for food on its own, a very difficult time for a young seal.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39071  

Pacific Harbor Seal Mother and Pup Emerge from the Ocean, they will remain close for four to six weeks until the pup is weaned from its mother's milk.
Species: Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39078  

Mother and calf gray whale, aerial photo, embryonic folds visible on the very young calf.
Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
Image ID: 37973  

A mother California sea lion (left) and her pup (right), underwater at the Coronado Islands, Mexico. Mothers and pups spend much time together with the mother teaching her young padawan learner how to pursue prey. I spent a lot of time over 6 days watching this pair in Fall 2023.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39960  

Young Adult Male California Sea Lion Underwater, his sagittal crest (bump on his head) is starting to be visible. In another year or two he will be large enough to challenge for his own harem and begin mating with females.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39952  

Two 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: 39953  

California Sea Lions, Mother nursing her pup.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36861  

Newborn harbor seal pup watches a Western seagull approach. The gull is trying to pick at placenta on the sandy beach as the seal pup, born just moments before, watches and tries to understand what is going on. 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: 39076  

California Sea Lion mother with her pup, La Jolla, California.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36570  

California Sea Lion pup playing on top of its resting mother, La Jolla, California.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 36580  

Cute young California Sea Lion playing with its own tail, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 36474  

Huge California Sea Lion Male Underwater, a bull, patrolling his breeding harem and territory, Coronado Islands, Mexico. His sagittal crest, the bony bump on his head that distinguishes adult male sea lions, is clearly seen. This particular sea lion bears an orange tag on his left foreflipper, probably as a result of rescue and release as a young sea lion years earlier.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 38657  

California sea lions playing underwater, socializing at North Coronado Island, Baja California, Mexico. Much of the play and mock sparring young sea lions perform involves biting and mouthing because what else can they use - they have no hands, duh.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 39762  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31212  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31215  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31223  

Young California sea lion pup underwater, Sea of Cortez.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31224  

Young sea lion hides in an underwater crevice.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 31226  

Young Steller sea lions mock jousting underwater, a combination of play and mild agreession, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Location: Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 32665  

Young Steller sea lions mock jousting underwater, a combination of play and mild agreession, Norris Rocks, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Species: Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Location: Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Image ID: 32669  

Seagull picks skin off a southern right whale, leaving a lesion that may become infected and which scientists have shown to be stressful to young calves.
Species: Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis
Location: Puerto Piramides, Chubut, Argentina
Image ID: 38333