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 ()...

  • 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
  • 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.
    1906AK2-197.jpg
  • Fin of Humpback whale. 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-4737.jpg
  • See a spout of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) from a day cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord 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-4739.jpg
  • Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perch on an iceberg calved from South Sawyer Glacier, seen via day cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord from Juneau, in the Alaska Panhandle, 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-4729.jpg
  • An American black bear (Ursus americanus) forages seafood on Tracy Arm Fjord. Juneau, Alaska, USA. To visit Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, 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-4689.jpg
  • An American black bear (Ursus americanus) forages for seafood in tidal seaweed on Tracy Arm Fjord. Juneau, Alaska, USA. To visit Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, 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-4185.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) takes wing from an iceberg which was calved from South Sawyer Glacier, seen via day cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord from Juneau, in the Alaska Panhandle, 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-4733.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-337_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-334_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-356_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-312_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-286_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-231_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) basks on rocks in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-09-12_sea-iguana-rocks.jpg
  • A female Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) digs a nest in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-04-13_female-sea-iguana-nest.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    86GAL-10-09_Sea-Iguana.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and cyan breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    86GAL-08-24_sea-iguana_head.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and yellow breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    86GAL-05-18_Sea-Iguana.jpg
  • The jagged, sharp spine of a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-11-31_Sea-iguana-spines.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-11-24_sea-iguana-claws.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    86GAL-11-23_Sea-Iguanas.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    86GAL-00_green-red-Sea-Iguana.jpg
  • Fish swim in a tank with a sea anemone, at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon.  Sea anemones (which are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower) are predatory animals of the order Actiniaria. As cnidarians, sea anemones are closely related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones and Hydra.
    08ORC-259.jpg
  • A sea anemone, at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.  Sea anemones (which are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower) are predatory animals of the order Actiniaria. As cnidarians, sea anemones are closely related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones and Hydra.
    08ORC-211.jpg
  • A colony of wild steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) rests below the "Lighthouse & Sealion Beach Vantage Point" on the Oregon coast, USA.
    06COA_068.jpg
  • A colony of wild steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) rests below the "Lighthouse & Sealion Beach Vantage Point" on the Oregon coast, USA.
    06CO_538.jpg
  • Wild steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) rest above surf line, seen from "Lighthouse & Sealion Beach Vantage Point" along Highway 101 on the Oregon coast, USA. Notice Heceta Head Lighthouse across the bay. While seeking to extend Spanish hegemony in the late 1700s, Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta mapped the mouth of the Columbia River and much more along the Pacific Northwest coast; and in 1862, the US Coast Survey named Heceta Head in his honor.
    06COA_080.jpg
  • A colony of wild steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) rests below the "Lighthouse & Sealion Beach Vantage Point" on the Oregon coast, USA.
    06CO_542.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3613_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3559_Galapagos.jpg
  • The golden cownose ray (or mustard ray, hawkray, pacific cownose ray; latin name Rhinoptera steindachneri, a species of fish in the Rhinopteridae family) swims near the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The golden cownose ray lives in the open seas, shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, estuarine waters, intertidal marshes, and coastal saline lagoons of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. 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.
    86GAL-X03-37-Golden-Rays-Galapagos.jpg
  • The golden cownose ray (or mustard ray, hawkray, pacific cownose ray; latin name Rhinoptera steindachneri, a species of fish in the Rhinopteridae family) swims at Gardner Bay, Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The golden cownose ray lives in the open seas, shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, estuarine waters, intertidal marshes, and coastal saline lagoons of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. 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-5517_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. 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-3596_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. 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-3564_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3557_Galapagos.jpg
  • People regard a mass of Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. 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-3518_Galapagos.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at 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. 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.
    1212CAC-1103.jpg
  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3555_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) basks at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands. They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun. 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.
    09ECU-5157_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Ecuador, South America.  Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3750_Galapagos.jpg
  • The skin and bones of a dead Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) dry on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3668_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3623_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3534_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3509_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09EQUCIMG_3324_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) basks at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands. They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun. 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.
    09ECU-5160_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas 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. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3551_Galapagos.jpg
  • A message on a bottle: keep clam and please don't litter. Gold Bluffs Beach, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, USA.
    2203CA-1065.jpg
  • Cormorants. Leffingwell Landing Park, part of Hearst San Simeon State Park, Cambria, California, USA
    2203CA-0464.jpg
  • Kelp. Leffingwell Landing Park, part of Hearst San Simeon State Park, Cambria, California, USA
    2203CA-0456.jpg
  • Fort Ross State Historic Park preserves a former Russian colony (1812-1842) on the west coast of North America, in what is now Sonoma County, California, USA. Visit Fort Ross and dramatic coastal scenery 11 miles north of Jenner on California Highway One.  Initially, sea otter pelts funded Russian expansion, but by 1820, overhunting motivated the Russian-American Company to introduce moratoriums on hunting seals and otters, the first marine-mammal conservation laws in the Pacific. Russian voyages greatly expanded California's scientific knowledge. For centuries before Europeans arrived, this site was called Metini and had been occupied by the Kashaya band of Pomo people who wove intricate baskets and harvested sea life, plants, acorns, deer, and small mammals. Sponsored by the Russian Empire, "Settlement Ross" was multicultural, built mostly by Alaskan Alutiiq natives and occupied mostly by native Siberians, Alaskans, Hawaiians, Californians, and mixed Europeans. Renamed "Ross" in 1812 in honor of Imperial Russian (Rossiia), Fortress Ross was intended to grow wheat and other crops to feed Russians living in Alaska, but after 30 years was found to be unsustainable. Fort Ross was sold to John Sutter in 1841, and his trusted assistant John Bidwell transported its hardware and animals to Sutter's Fort in the Sacramento Valley. Fort Ross is a landmark in European imperialism, which brought Spanish expanding west across the Atlantic Ocean and Russians spreading east across Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. In the early 1800s, Russians coming from the north met Spanish coming from the south along the Pacific Coast of California, followed by the USA arriving from the east in 1846 for the Mexican-American War. Today, Fort Ross is a California Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
    1212CA-2238.jpg
  • Tsunami Evacuation Route sign on Miner's Ridge Trail, walked from Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, in Murrelet State Wilderness, California, USA.
    2203CA-0960.jpg
  • A spot prawn (Panalus platyceros) crawls below a giant plumose anemone (Metridium farcimen) in a tank at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-685.jpg
  • Giant Green Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica). Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-691.jpg
  • Northern red anemone (Urticina crassicornis) at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-710.jpg
  • Landing at the ferry terminal at Tarbert, the main town of Harris in the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) of Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. In Gaelic, Tarbert means "isthmus," "crossing point" or "portage". The Tarbert ferry connects to Uig on Skye.
    17SC1-3988_Scotland.jpg
  • Statue of a woman riding a turtle on a wave, in front of Hilo's Tsunami Museum, which was established in 1997 inside the 1930 First Hawaiian Bank building. The movie room is in the old bank vault. Hilo is on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA.
    1701HAW-2981.jpg
  • 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 been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. Nunu, yellow trumpet fish, Aulostomus chinensis. Ornate Butterflyfish or Kikakapu (Chaetodon ornatissimus). This fish is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area. Snorkel at Two-Step (Pae'a) on Honaunau Bay, located across Keoneele Cove from Pu'uhonu O Honaunau National Historical Park ("Place of Refuge"), on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Address of Pae'a: 84-5571 Honaunau Beach Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704.
    1701HAW-3229.jpg
  • 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 been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. Snorkel at Two-Step (Pae'a) on Honaunau Bay, located across Keoneele Cove from Pu'uhonu O Honaunau National Historical Park ("Place of Refuge"), on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Address of Pae'a: 84-5571 Honaunau Beach Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704.
    1701HAW-3184.jpg
  • Lobster traps. Irish River or Vaughan Creek #1 Covered Bridge was built in 1935 in picturesque St. Martins, in Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. Observe the extreme tides of Bay of Fundy lifting fishing boats near the bridge. Drive through the covered bridge and go 7 km on Big Salmon River Road to reach the start of the Fundy Trail Parkway, a 16 kilometer auto route along the Fundy coast ending at Big Salmon River, a former lumbering center. Bay of Fundy has the highest tidal range in the world, due to a resonance of being just the right length (270 km) matching the gravitational pushing cycle of the Moon that causes the tides. Coincidentally, the time it takes a large wave to go from the mouth of the bay to the inner shore and back is practically the same as the time from one high tide to the next. (You can see the effect of resonance for yourself by steadily pushing a long pan of water back and forth: an optimal pushing frequency for a given pan length will build up a high wave of water which sloshes out; but pushing too fast or too slow won't build up the big wave.) Two high tides occur per day, one when the ocean side is nearest the Moon, and one on the side of the Earth most distant from the Moon, about 12 hours and 25 minutes from one high tide to the next. The Bay of Fundy is on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. St. Martins (2006 population: 386) is 40 km east of Saint John. St. Martins (originally known as Quaco) was founded by Loyalists in 1783. Its important 1800s shipbuilding center faded, leaving tourism as today's major industry.  The panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    1410CAN-334-338pan_St-Martins.jpg
  • The Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) is found along the Pacific coast, from south of Shelikof Strait in the eastern Gulf of Alaska to Punta Colnett in northern Baja California. Photographed in the Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6G 3E2 CANADA.
    1402VAN-219.jpg
  • The Russian River drains Sonoma and Mendocino counties  in Northern California, USA and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Russian River State Marine Conservation area and Sonoma Coast State Park near Jenner.
    1212CA-2085.jpg
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. 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-1265.jpg
  • A Zodiac boat explores a blue iceberg arch melting in Neko Harbor (an inlet of the Southern Ocean), at Graham Land, the north portion of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica. Scientists have measured temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula as warming faster than anywhere else on earth. An overwhelming consensus of world scientists agree that global warming is indeed happening and humans are contributing to it through emission of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases," primarily carbon dioxide (see www.ucsusa.org). Since the industrial revolution began, humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by 35% (through burning of fossil fuels, deforesting land, and grazing livestock). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    05ANT-10949_Neko-Harbor.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) roosts at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels). 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. Panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-5292+98_Waved-albatross.jpg
  • A Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America.  The Blue-footed Booby is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean. 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-4599_Galapagos.jpg
  • Juvenile Striated Heron (Butorides striata) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Also known as Mangrove Heron or Little Heron, the Striated Heron breeds in small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to Japan and Australia, and in South America. This bird was long considered to be conspecific with the closely related North American species, the Green Heron, which is now usually separated as B. virescens, as well as the Lava Heron of the Galápagos Islands (now B. sundevalli, but often included in B. striata; collectively they were called "green-backed herons". Like other herons, they are traditionally placed in the order Ciconiiformes together with storks, but all these birds form a close-knit group with pelicans, and it is unresolved whether herons are not closer to these than to storks.
    09ECU-3677_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3326_Galapagos.jpg
  • Fishermen in snorkel gear pull nets at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), 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-3094_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Leaf Scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus) is venomous. Seattle Aquarium, Washington, USA.
    0803AQU-74.jpg
  • The Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), or False Percula Clownfish, is found in Pacific coral reefs, and is a popular aquarium fish, even more so after it rose to stardom in "Finding Nemo", the 2003 Academy Award-winning computer-animated film. Seattle Aquarium, Washington, USA.
    0803AQU-67.jpg
  • Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger). Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-533.jpg
  • The Passages of the Deep exhibit tunnels under seawater at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-534.jpg
  • Rhinoceros Auklet. Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-555.jpg
  • Pigeon Guillemot. Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-558.jpg
  • A Tufted Puffin flaps its wings in a pen at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-592.jpg
  • Giant Green Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica). Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    20210210_103812.jpg
  • Two fish swim over Giant Green Anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica). Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    20210210_103837.jpg
  • Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris). Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
    2102OR2-753.jpg
  • A Green Moray Eel (Gymnothorax funebris) emerges from a pipe at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, in Newport, Oregon, USA. While it may look neon green, the skin of the otherwise brown eel actually secretes a yellow-tinted layer of protective, toxic mucus. Moray eels are the only fish (and the only vertebrates) with mobile pharyngeal jaws, an extraordinary hunting innovation where outer jaws firmly grasp the prey, then separate inner jaws within the throat shoot forward to bite the target and pull it in!
    2102OR2-770.jpg
  • 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 been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. Snorkel at Two-Step (Pae'a) on Honaunau Bay, located across Keoneele Cove from Pu'uhonu O Honaunau National Historical Park ("Place of Refuge"), on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Address of Pae'a: 84-5571 Honaunau Beach Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704.
    1701HAW-3272.jpg
  • Merganser ducks / genus Mergus swim across water ripples which reflect blue sky and boat masts. Observe the extreme tides of Bay of Fundy lifting fishing boats at picturesque St. Martins, in Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. Bay of Fundy has the highest tidal range in the world, due to a resonance of being just the right length (270 km) matching the gravitational pushing cycle of the Moon that causes the tides. Coincidentally, the time it takes a large wave to go from the mouth of the bay to the inner shore and back is practically the same as the time from one high tide to the next. (You can see the effect of resonance for yourself by steadily pushing a long pan of water back and forth: an optimal pushing frequency for a given pan length will build up a high wave of water which sloshes out; but pushing too fast or too slow won't build up the big wave.) Two high tides occur per day, one when the ocean side is nearest the Moon, and one on the side of the Earth most distant from the Moon, about 12 hours and 25 minutes from one high tide to the next. The Bay of Fundy is on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. St. Martins (2006 population: 386) is 40 km east of Saint John. St. Martins (originally known as Quaco) was founded by Loyalists in 1783. Its important 1800s shipbuilding center faded, leaving tourism as today's major industry.
    1410CAN-320_St-Martins.jpg
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. 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-1280.jpg
  • On an Antarctic island, a visitor watches Gentoo penguins walk to the ocean to retrieve food for chicks. In 2005, the M/S Explorer cruise ship took us to this remote wilderness. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    05ANT-20133.jpg
  • Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) emerge from iceberg bejeweled waters of the Southern Ocean to waddle to their summer colony on Cuverville Island, Antarctica. The adventure cruise ship M/S Explorer anchors offshore in 2005. An adult Gentoo Penguin has a bright orange-red bill and a wide white stripe extending across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Of all penguins, Gentoos have the most prominent tail, which sweeps from side to side as they waddle on land, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, "rump-tailed." As the the third largest species of penguin, adult Gentoos reach 51 to 90 cm (20-36 in) high. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguin, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. Cuverville Island is in Errera Channel off the west coast of Graham Land, the north portion of the Antarctic Peninsula. Reuters News Pictures Service published this image in stories on the M/S Explorer, which sank after hitting an iceberg in 2007 and now lies sunk 600 meters deep in the Southern Ocean. The Explorer, owned by Canadian travel company GAP Adventures, took on water after hitting ice at 12:24 AM EST on Friday November 23, 2007. 154 passengers and crew calmly climbed into lifeboats and drifted some six hours in calm waters. A Norwegian passenger boat rescued and took them to Chile's Antarctic Eduardo Frei base, where they were fed, clothed, checked by a doctor, and later flown to Punta Arenas, Chile. The ship sank hours after the passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
    05ANT-10805_Cuverville-Island.jpg
  • Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus), Aitcho Island, Antarctica. A narrow black band under their heads looks like a chin strap for their black "helmet." Chinstrap Penguins swim up to 80 km (50 miles) offshore each day to eat krill, shrimp, and fish. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    05ANT-10672_Aitcho-Island.jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans walk in line on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male.
    04AUS-10772_Australian-Pelican_Walpo...jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans preen on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    04AUS-10760_Australian-Pelican.jpg
  • A lone mangrove tree casts a shadow on a white beach on a blue-green lagoon in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. 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.
    86GAL-20-02_mangrove-tree-beach.jpg
  • Snorkel in waters of Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), 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." Its older English name of Chatham is that of William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. 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_3168_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) preens feathers at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years.
    09ECU-5132_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) spreads its wings to dry at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years. 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-5130_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) spreads its wings to dry at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years.
    09ECU-5127_Galapagos.jpg
  • Yellow boat bumpers reflect in rippled water of the Pacific Ocean. Puerto Ayora is capitol of Santa Cruz Island, and the largest town in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. 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" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-5094_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata, or Galapagos Albatross) sculpture welcomes visitors to Puerto Ayora, capitol of Santa Cruz Island and the largest town in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, Ecuador, South America. Santa Cruz Island is a large dormant volcano in the Galápagos Islands with a maximum altitude of 864 metres. The last eruptions occurred around a million and a half years ago. Santa Cruz translates from Spanish as Holy Cross. Its English name, Indefatigable, was given after a British vessel HMS Indefatigable. Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island of the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. The economy includes tourism, agriculture and cattle raising. Santa Cruz hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora.
    09ECU-5081_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) inspired a T shirt saying "I love boobies," in Puerto Ayora, capitol of Santa Cruz Island and the largest town in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island of the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. The economy includes tourism, agriculture and cattle raising.
    09ECU-5070_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Flightless Cormorant (or Galapagos Cormorant; Phalacrocorax harrisi) lives on Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Ecuador, South America. The Flightless Cormorant is native to the Galapagos Islands, and is the world’s only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. With only about 1500 individuals living, it is one of the world's rarest birds. Once it was placed in its own genus, Nannopterum or Compsohalieus, although current taxonomy places it with most of the other cormorants, Phalacrocorax. The largest island of the Galápagos archipelago was named in honor of Queen Isabela.
    09ECU-3707_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Flightless Cormorant (or Galapagos Cormorant; Phalacrocorax harrisi) lives on Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Ecuador, South America. The Flightless Cormorant is native to the Galapagos Islands, and is the world’s only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. With only about 1500 individuals living, it is one of the world's rarest birds. Once it was placed in its own genus, Nannopterum or Compsohalieus, although current taxonomy places it with most of the other cormorants, Phalacrocorax. The largest island of the Galápagos archipelago was named in honor of Queen Isabela.
    09ECU-3703_Galapagos.jpg
  • Sally Lightfoot or red lava crab (Grapsus grapsus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America, and can also be seen along the entire coast of Central America and Mexico and nearby islands. This crab has five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching down. The crab's round, flat carapace is just over 8 cm (3 inches) in length. Young crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are muted brownish-red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow. The ones seen on photographs of tropical island fauna are often bright orange or red with stripes or spots dorsally, blue and green ventrally, and sporting red claws and pink or blue eyes. This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the seaspray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch, but not considered very edible by humans. It is used as bait by fishermen.
    09ECU-3674_Galapagos.jpg
Prev 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