Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 375 images found }

Loading ()...

  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-315_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • A Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus, or northern sea lion) plays with a firehose in an aquarium tank at the Alaska Sealife Center, Seward, Alaska. Steller Sea Lions are an endangered species in parts of Alaska and threatened elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest USA.
    06AK_7119-Steller-sea-lion_AK-Sealif...jpg
  • A woman reaches for a Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus, or northern sea lion) playing with a firehose in an aquarium tank at the Alaska Sealife Center, Seward, Alaska. Steller Sea Lions are an endangered species in parts of Alaska and threatened elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    06AK_7118-Steller-sea-lion_AK-Sealif...jpg
  • Red sand coats the back of a Galápagos Sea Lion pup (Zalophus wollebaeki) on Rábida Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    94GAL-15-14_sea-lion-pup_Red-Sand_Ra...jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Beach sand clings to a baby Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) on Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in Sport Diver magazine Nov/Dec 2014, "World's Best: Seals & Sea Lions" article, publisher BONNIER CORPORATION DIVE GROUP.
    09ECU-5511_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bask near snorkelers on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5445_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bask and ignore people on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5421_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is seen on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3217_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) barks on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3215_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1085.jpg
  • A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) grazes underwater at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The "green sea turtle" name comes from its greenish fat and flesh. The hues of its shell range from olive-brown to black in Eastern Pacific green turtles. The green turtle belongs to the family Cheloniidae and is the only species in the genus Chelonia. The species lives in tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It has a flattened body covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace and a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. Unlike other members of its family such as the hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, Chelonia mydas is mostly herbivorous (plant eating). The adults are commonly found in shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrass. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09EQUCIMG_3436_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bark and bask on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5485_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bask near snorkelers on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5471_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bask on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5466_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) play on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5458_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) watches waves break on North Seymour Island in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4578_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island) is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. Its Spanish (and most commonly used) name "San Cristóbal" comes from the Patron Saint of seafarers, "St. Christopher." In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3110_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1114.jpg
  • Beach sand clings to a Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) on Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5496_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) undulate hypnotically in a blue tank at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-616.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) undulate hypnotically in a blue tank at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-618.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) undulate hypnotically in a blue tank at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-672.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) undulate hypnotically in a blue tank at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-646.jpg
  • A yellow sea anemone and other sealife at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-696.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1099.jpg
  • This Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is at Puerto Egas, visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4293_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard rests on the toothy grinning head of a dead Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) carcass drying on Punta (Point) Espinoza on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Collectively known as lava lizards, seven ground lizard species of the reptile genus Tropidurus are endemic to the Galápagos Islands (and commonly placed in the genus Microlophus). All seven most likely evolved from a single ancestral species, demonstrating the principal of adaptive radiation that is typical of the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago. One lava lizard species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. Males and females of all Tropidurus species are marked differently. The male is usually much larger than the female, and its body is more brightly colored and distinctly patterned. Markings vary considerably, even within an individual species. Animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones which live in lighter, sandy environments. Like many lizards, they show changes of color with mood and temperature. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3547_Galapagos.jpg
  • Sea anemones and other sealife at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-718.jpg
  • An Ochre Sea Star (the common starfish species Pisaster ochraceus) uses its tube feet to grip a clam. Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-736.jpg
  • Closeup photo of the tube feet of an Ochre Sea Star (the starfish species Pisaster ochraceus). Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    20210210_103631.jpg
  • Sea lions. Cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, Alaska, USA. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
    1906AKH-4757.jpg
  • Sea lions. Cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, Alaska, USA. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
    1906AKH-4752.jpg
  • A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) grazes underwater at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The "green sea turtle" name comes from its greenish fat and flesh. The hues of its shell range from olive-brown to black in Eastern Pacific green turtles. The green turtle belongs to the family Cheloniidae and is the only species in the genus Chelonia. The species lives in tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It has a flattened body covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace and a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. Unlike other members of its family such as the hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, Chelonia mydas is mostly herbivorous (plant eating). The adults are commonly found in shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrass. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09EQUCIMG_3411_Galapagos.jpg
  • Starfish come in red, orange, purple and magenta colors at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Starfish or sea stars are any echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The "star fish" usually hunt for shelled animals such as oysters and clams. They have two stomachs, one used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey much larger than its mouth. Most starfish have 5 arms, which can be regenerated if lost.
    0803AQU-27.jpg
  • Ripples on the water surface distorts this view of an orange and red sea anemone at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. At the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, the Art Committee selected this 17x22 inch print for display in the Jones Pavilion Level 11 Orthopedic Inpatient unit art collection, 2011.
    0803AQU-16.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) undulate hypnotically in a blue tank at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-631.jpg
  • Two Ochre Sea Stars (the common starfish species Pisaster ochraceus) fight over a clam, watched by a rockfish. Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-731.jpg
  • Leafy sea dragon / Phycodurus eques, Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA.  Phycodurus eques is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which includes the seahorses. Its long leaf-like protrusions serve as camouflage in its native habitat  along southern and western coasts of Australia. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1262.jpg
  • Kelp on polished pebbles. Lummi Island, in the Salish Sea, Whatcom County, Washington, USA.
    1312WA-112.jpg
  • A sea bird reflects in Tidal River at Wilson’s Promontory National Park in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Natural tannins leach from decomposing vegetation and turn the water brown. “The Prom” offers natural estuaries, cool fern gullies, magnificent and secluded beaches, striking rock formations, and abundant wildlife. Drive two hours from Melbourne to reach Wilson’s Promontory. Renting a camper van is a great way to see Australia with “no worries” about booking a bed. One night in the campground, our camper van rocked us awake in what we though was an earthquake. The rocking soon stopped and the dark shape of a wombat (a marsupial “bear”) wandered off into the night from underneath the van, where he had been licking our tasty sink drain! Around the campground, we were also delighted to see wallabies and the Common Brushtail Possum. Visitors also commonly see echidnas, koalas, bats and sugar-gliders. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    04AUS-20006_Tidal-River_Wilsons-Prom...jpg
  • A sea lily (crinoid) animal fossil at Redwall Cavern in Marble Canyon at River Mile 33.3, seen on day 2 of 16 days rafting 226 miles down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea, one of the classes of the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes the starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Those crinoids which, in their adult form, are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk (shown here) are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, being members of the largest crinoid order, Comatulida.
    2103SW-B0035.jpg
  • Sea shells and skate egg case. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge (adjacent to Cape Hatteras National Seashore) is located on the north end of North Carolina's Hatteras Island, a coastal barrier island and part of a chain of islands known as the Outer Banks. The sanctuary is located 10 miles south of Nags Head, North Carolina on NC Highway 12.The refuge objectives are to provide nesting, resting, and wintering habitat for migratory birds, including the greater snow geese and other migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, and neotropical migrants, as well as habitat and protection for endangered and threatened species. The refuge was established May 17, 1937.
    08NC-1046_beach-shells.jpg
  • Green Sea Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington, USA.
    0803AQU-84.jpg
  • Sea Anemone at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington, USA.
    0803AQU-91.jpg
  • Sea Anemone with purple arms, at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington, USA.
    0803AQU-85.jpg
  • Starfish at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Starfish or sea stars are any echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The "star fish" usually hunt for shelled animals such as oysters and clams. They have two stomachs, one used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey much larger than its mouth. Most starfish have 5 arms, which can be regenerated if lost.
    0803AQU-09.jpg
  • The state fish of Hawaii is the lagoon triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapua'a, meaning "triggerfish with a snout like a pig"; or humuhumu for short). Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a popular snorkeling area run by the City and County of Honolulu, in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. After decades of overcrowding, Hanauma Bay is now better managed as the first Marine Life Conservation District in the State, which attempts to sustain the stressed reef which hosts a great variety of tropical fish. Feeding the fish is no longer allowed and the park is closed on Tuesdays to allow the fish a day of rest undisturbed. Hanauma Bay formed within the tuff ring of an eroded volcanic crater along the southeast coast of Oahu.
    1701HAW-0565.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) lands at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. Española is becoming a rocky, barren land with little or no vegetation, with large bays, sand and soft shingle which attracts a healthy number of Galapagos Sea Lions. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Tourists come to see the Waved Albatross and the mating dances of blue-footed boobies. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. This island has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands; the Española lava lizard; the Marine Iguana, which has red markings on its back; and others. Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and other tropical birds live here.
    09ECU-5251_Galapagos.jpg
  • The sailfin tang (Zebrasoma veliferum in the fish family Acanthuridae), photographed in Hanauma Bay, has an extensive range throughout Oceania, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific. It's popular in the aquarium trade. Though their skin is light beige with stripes, it can turn dark brown under stress. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a popular snorkeling area run by the City and County of Honolulu, in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. After decades of overcrowding, Hanauma Bay is now better managed as the first Marine Life Conservation District in the State, which attempts to sustain the stressed reef which hosts a great variety of tropical fish. Feeding the fish is no longer allowed and the park is closed on Tuesdays to allow the fish a day of rest undisturbed. Hanauma Bay formed within the tuff ring of an eroded volcanic crater along the southeast coast of Oahu.
    1701HAW-0629.jpg
  • The beach at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve hosts a popular snorkeling area run by the City and County of Honolulu, in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. After decades of overcrowding, Hanauma Bay is now better managed as the first Marine Life Conservation District in the State, which attempts to sustain the stressed reef which hosts a great variety of tropical fish. Feeding the fish is no longer allowed and the park is closed on Tuesdays to allow the fish a day of rest undisturbed. Hanauma Bay formed within the tuff ring of an eroded volcanic crater along the southeast coast of Oahu.
    1701HAW-0504.jpg
  • Convict tang or convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus, in family Acanthuridae of the order Perciformes). Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a popular snorkeling area run by the City and County of Honolulu, in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. After decades of overcrowding, Hanauma Bay is now better managed as the first Marine Life Conservation District in the State, which attempts to sustain the stressed reef which hosts a great variety of tropical fish. Feeding the fish is no longer allowed and the park is closed on Tuesdays to allow the fish a day of rest undisturbed. Hanauma Bay formed within the tuff ring of an eroded volcanic crater along the southeast coast of Oahu.
    1701HAW-0540.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) lands at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. Española is becoming a rocky, barren land with little or no vegetation, with large bays, sand and soft shingle which attracts a healthy number of Galapagos Sea Lions. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Tourists come to see the Waved Albatross and the mating dances of blue-footed boobies. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. This island has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands; the Española lava lizard; the Marine Iguana, which has red markings on its back; and others. Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls and other tropical birds live here.
    09ECU-5254_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus, the only species in the genus Creagrus) flies on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America. The Swallow-tailed Gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. Its scientific name is derived from the Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is the cliffs of the larger Galápagos Islands, with lower numbers on most of the smaller islands. It is more common on the eastern islands where the water is warmer. It is the only fully nocturnal gull and seabird in the world, preying on squid and small fish which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton. Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island) is a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This island is known as Bird Island, because of the large and varied bird colonies which nest here. Prince Philip’s Steps is a steep path up a 25 meter cliff to a seabird colony full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest and rocky plain.
    09ECU-3205_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus, the only species in the genus Creagrus) thrives on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America. The Swallow-tailed Gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. Its scientific name is derived from the Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is the cliffs of the larger Galápagos Islands, with lower numbers on most of the smaller islands. It is more common on the eastern islands where the water is warmer. It is the only fully nocturnal gull and seabird in the world, preying on squid and small fish which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton. Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island) is a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This island is known as Bird Island, because of the large and varied bird colonies which nest here. Prince Philip’s Steps is a steep path up a 25 meter cliff to a seabird colony full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest and rocky plain.
    09ECU-3226_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull pair(Creagrus furcatus, the only species in the genus Creagrus) thrives on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America. The Swallow-tailed Gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. Its scientific name is derived from the Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is the cliffs of the larger Galápagos Islands, with lower numbers on most of the smaller islands. It is more common on the eastern islands where the water is warmer. It is the only fully nocturnal gull and seabird in the world, preying on squid and small fish which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton. Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island) is a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This island is known as Bird Island, because of the large and varied bird colonies which nest here. Prince Philip’s Steps is a steep path up a 25 meter cliff to a seabird colony full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest and rocky plain.
    09ECU-3212_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) rest in a tide pool at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4256_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) swims at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4222_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) swims at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4171_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) rest in a tide pool at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4250_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) rests in a tide pool at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4233_Galapagos.jpg
  • The common murre, in a seabird pen at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. The Common Murre (Uria aalge) is a dapper, black-and-white seabird that nests in raucous throngs on crowded sea cliffs. Resembling "flying penguins," they have a tuxedoed look but are actually relatives of auks and puffins.
    2102OR2-549.jpg
  • Calotomus carolinus, or Starry-eye Parrotfish / Star-eye Parrotfish / Carolines Parrotfish in Kealakekua Bay, Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Hawaiians call various species of parrotfish "uhu." We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD). British Captain James Cook was the first European to reach the Hawaiian islands (in January 1778 at Waimea harbour on Kauai), and he named the archipelago the "Sandwich Islands." During his second voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Thought by the natives to be a god, due to his arrival during a celebration and time of peace for Lono, Cook was treated royally. But the following month he was killed in a skirmish on the shores of Ka'awaloa Cove following a series of incidents between his crew and the Hawaiians. In 1874, the 27-foot monument was erected nearby in Cook's honor by his countrymen. On the lava flats behind Cook Monument are the ruins of the ancient village of Ka'awaloa.
    1701HAW-3458.jpg
  • Yellow tang in Kealakekua Bay. The yellow tang, or Lau'ipala (Zebrasoma flavescens in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae). Zebrasoma flavescens is one of the most popular fish species for saltwater aquariums. Hawaii sources up to 70% of the aquarium industry's yellow tangs. "flavescens" means yellow in Latin. The yellow tang is commonly found in shallow reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. It has also been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).
    1701HAW-3466.jpg
  • Yellow tang in Kealakekua Bay. The yellow tang, or Lau'ipala (Zebrasoma flavescens in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae). Zebrasoma flavescens is one of the most popular fish species for saltwater aquariums. Hawaii sources up to 70% of the aquarium industry's yellow tangs. "flavescens" means yellow in Latin. The yellow tang is commonly found in shallow reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. It has also been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).
    1701HAW-3425.jpg
  • Birds: Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus. A unique landscape of beautifully striped bedrock descends from Pemaquid Light to the Atlantic Ocean. Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was built in 1835 and commemorated on Maine's state quarter (released 2003). Visit Lighthouse Park at the tip of Pemaquid Neck in New Harbor, near Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine, USA. From Damariscotta on bustling US Highway 1, drive 15 miles south on Maine Route 130 to the park. The keeper's house (built 1857) is now the Fishermen's Museum at Pemaquid. Geologic history: Silurian Period sediments laid down 430 million years ago were metamorphosed underground into a gneiss 360-415 million years ago, and intruded by molten rock which cooled slowly, creating the park's exposed metamorphic gray rocks with dikes of harder, white igneous rock. Underground heat and pressure tortured and folded the rock layers into the striking patterns that are now pounded and polished by the sea and rough weather.
    1410ME-854_Cormorants.jpg
  • The Blue Spotted Stingray or Taeniura lymma is part of the shark family. This saltwater fish is found in the West Pacific, East Africa, Red Sea, East Africa, Japan and parts of southern Australia. Photographed in the Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6G 3E2 CANADA. It feeds on crustaceans around coral reefs in relatively shallow water of up to 65 feet. These Stingrays can grow to about 14 inches in width and over 3 feet in length with tail. They are often found in groups and can be buried in the sand. The large tail spine is dangerous and can sometimes cause deadly blood loss.
    1402VAN-370.jpg
  • Fossilized shrimp burrow cross-section, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. During the Cretaceous period (60 to 80 million years ago), the Great Inland Sea covered this area. Crustaceans known as Callianasa major built tunnels under the sand, which filled with iron deposits after the sea receded, leaving casts of their burrows. Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    1403NM-0657_fossil-shrimp-burrow.jpg
  • A Swallow-tailed Gull chick (Creagrus furcatus, the only species in the genus Creagrus) waits for a parent to bring food to a bare ground nest on North Seymour Island in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Swallow-tailed Gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. Its scientific name is derived from the Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is the cliffs of the larger Galápagos Islands, with lower numbers on most of the smaller islands. It is more common on the eastern islands where the water is warmer. It is the only fully nocturnal gull and seabird in the world, preying on squid and small fish which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton.
    09ECU-4603_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, South America. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3398_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3293_Galapagos.jpg
  • Nesting with egg. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3286_Galapagos.jpg
  • A common murre, in a seabird pen at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. The Common Murre (Uria aalge) is a dapper, black-and-white seabird that nests in raucous throngs on crowded sea cliffs. Resembling "flying penguins," they have a tuxedoed look but are actually relatives of auks and puffins.
    2102OR2-575.jpg
  • Metridium farcimen (giant plumose anemone or white-plumed anemone) is a species of sea anemone in the family Metridiidae, found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska down to Catalina Island, California. Photographed in a tank at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-677.jpg
  • Yellow tang in Kealakekua Bay. The yellow tang, or Lau'ipala (Zebrasoma flavescens in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae). Zebrasoma flavescens is one of the most popular fish species for saltwater aquariums. Hawaii sources up to 70% of the aquarium industry's yellow tangs. "flavescens" means yellow in Latin. The yellow tang is commonly found in shallow reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. It has also been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).
    1701HAW-3431.jpg
  • Ornate Butterflyfish or Kikakapu (Chaetodon ornatissimus, at center top) in Kealakekua Bay. This fish is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).
    1701HAW-3428.jpg
  • A single sailfin tang (Zebrasoma veliferum) swims with a school of other fish. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD). British Captain James Cook was the first European to reach the Hawaiian islands (in January 1778 at Waimea harbour on Kauai), and he named the archipelago the "Sandwich Islands." During his second voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Thought by the natives to be a god, due to his arrival during a celebration and time of peace for Lono, Cook was treated royally. But the following month he was killed in a skirmish on the shores of Ka'awaloa Cove following a series of incidents between his crew and the Hawaiians. In 1874, the 27-foot monument was erected nearby in Cook's honor by his countrymen. On the lava flats behind Cook Monument are the ruins of the ancient village of Ka'awaloa.
    1701HAW-3357.jpg
  • Flameworked glass penguin. Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York, USA. The fascinating Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG.org) covers the art, history and science of glass, brought to life through live glassmaking demonstrations, offered all day, every day. The not-for-profit museum was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) and has a collection of more than 45,000 glass objects, some over 3500 years old, the "world's best collection of art and historical glass."
    1410NY-647_Corning.jpg
  • Fossilized shrimp burrows look like squiggly iron rebar or reddish corn cobs, in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. During the Cretaceous period (60 to 80 million years ago), the Great Inland Sea covered this area. Crustaceans known as Callianasa major built tunnels under the sand, which filled with iron deposits after the sea receded, leaving casts of their burrows. Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    1403NM-0348_fossil-shrimp-burrow.jpg
  • Fossilized shrimp burrows look like squiggly iron rebar or reddish corn cobs, in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. During the Cretaceous period (60 to 80 million years ago), the Great Inland Sea covered this area. Crustaceans known as Callianasa major built tunnels under the sand, which filled with iron deposits after the sea receded, leaving casts of their burrows. Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    1403NM-0654_fossil-shrimp-burrow.jpg
  • Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) thrive on symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones. Sydney Aquarium, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Clownfish and anemonefish are from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    04AUS-10292_Clown-Fish-Sydney-Aquari...jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) eats algae from a rock at Puerto Egas, visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4270_Galapagos.jpg
  • This Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) lives at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Ecuador, South America. The Galápagos Penguin is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, and is the only penguin to live on the equator (no penguins live further north). It can survive due to the cool temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters brought up from great depths by the Cromwell Current. They only forage during the day, usually near their breeding site, and depend on the cold nutrient-rich currents to bring them food such as schooling fish, mainly mullet, sardines, and sometimes crustaceans. The species is endangered, one of the world’s rarest penguin species, with an estimated population size of around 1,500 individuals in 2004. On land, the penguins must keep an eye out for crabs, snakes, owls, and hawks, while in the water they must avoid sharks, fur seals, sea lions and orcas. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Humboldt Penguin. The Galápagos Penguin lives mainly on Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island, but small populations are scattered on Santiago, Bartolome, northern Santa Cruz, and Floreana. Galápagos Penguins have a black head with a white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, to join on the throat. They have blackish-grey upperparts and whitish underparts, with two black bands across the breast, the lower band extending down the flanks to the thigh. Juveniles have a wholly dark head, greyer on side and chin, and no breast-band.
    09ECU-3727_Galapagos.jpg
  • Whale bones lie bleaching in the sun Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America, which was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3687_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3389_Galapagos.jpg
  • White downy chick. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3380_Galapagos.jpg
  • Chick. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3276_Galapagos.jpg
  • The white morph of the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3271_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3259_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3254_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip's Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3202.jpg
  • Hawaiians call various species of parrotfish "uhu." Kealakekua Bay, Big Island, Hawaii, USA. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD). British Captain James Cook was the first European to reach the Hawaiian islands (in January 1778 at Waimea harbour on Kauai), and he named the archipelago the "Sandwich Islands." During his second voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Thought by the natives to be a god, due to his arrival during a celebration and time of peace for Lono, Cook was treated royally. But the following month he was killed in a skirmish on the shores of Ka'awaloa Cove following a series of incidents between his crew and the Hawaiians. In 1874, the 27-foot monument was erected nearby in Cook's honor by his countrymen. On the lava flats behind Cook Monument are the ruins of the ancient village of Ka'awaloa.
    1701HAW-3482.jpg
  • Yellow tang in Kealakekua Bay. The yellow tang, or Lau'ipala (Zebrasoma flavescens in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae). Zebrasoma flavescens is one of the most popular fish species for saltwater aquariums. Hawaii sources up to 70% of the aquarium industry's yellow tangs. "flavescens" means yellow in Latin. The yellow tang is commonly found in shallow reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. It has also been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).
    1701HAW-3424.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) opens its mouth at Puerto Egas, visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4192_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3202_Galapagos.jpg
  • Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) live amid ice flows calved from South Sawyer Glacier. Cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, Alaska, USA. As the most widely distributed species of pinniped, harbor seals are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals are brown, silvery white, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
    1906AKH-4414.jpg
  • Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) live amid ice flows calved from South Sawyer Glacier. Cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, Alaska, USA. As the most widely distributed species of pinniped, harbor seals are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals are brown, silvery white, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
    1906AKH-4531.jpg
  • Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) live amid ice flows calved from South Sawyer Glacier. Cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, Alaska, USA. As the most widely distributed species of pinniped, harbor seals are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals are brown, silvery white, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
    1906AKH-4438.jpg
  • Nature expert and sculptor R.T. "Skip" Wallen created "Tahku", an impressive 6.5-ton, 25-foot tall breaching humpback whale statue with fountains and lights, completed in 2018 in Overstreet Park along the Seawalk near Juneau-Douglas Bridge, in Juneau, Alaska, USA. Tahku celebrates 50 years of Alaska statehood 1959-2009. The City and Borough of Juneau is the capital city of Alaska and the second largest city in the USA by area (only Sitka is larger). This unified municipality lies on Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle. Juneau has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of what was the District of Alaska was moved from Sitka. The city is named after a gold prospector from Quebec, Joe Juneau. Isolated by rugged terrain on Alaska's mainland, Juneau can only be reached by plane or boat. Downtown Juneau sits at sea level under steep mountains up to 4000 feet high, topped by Juneau Icefield and 30 glaciers.
    1906AK2-201.jpg
Next
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Portfolio of Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com

  • Portfolio
  • BLOG — PhotoSeek HOME
  • ALL IMAGES + captions
    • Worldwide favorites
    • ALL GALLERIES
    • Lightbox
  • SEARCH
  • CART
  • How to buy my images
  • Camera reviews
  • ABOUT