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  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Here, the vertebrae comprising the rear part of the whale are being cleaned.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • This bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a part of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation, with population estimates in the low hundreds. This individual was turned upside-down while performing loud percussive slaps on the ocean surface with the dorsal surface of its fluke. Orca rake marks are visible on the corners of the whale’s fluke. The whale was part of a large social gathering, comprising well over 50 whales. This whale’s tail slapping could be heard for a long distance. When this whale stopped, the gathering dissolved, with whales breaking moving away as singles and in smaller groups.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • A rainbow of color appearing in the exhalation of a Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). This whale is part of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation, which is thought to number in the low hundreds.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • This is an adult pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) entangled in a fishing net. The net was wrapped around the base of the whale's fluke, with substantial net and rope trailing behind. As is visible in this image, rope stretched up both sides of the whale and appeared to be caught in the whale's mouth. I came across this whale in shallow, green, murky water, approximately 60 meters depth. The whale was still able to swim, though it appeared exhausted. It did not fluke, and the netting was not visible from the surface. Sadly, this whale most likely died shortly after this encounter.
    blue-whale-entangled-fishing-net-bal...tif
  • This is an adult pygmy blue whale entangled in a fishing net. The net was wrapped around the base of the whale's fluke, with substantial net and rope trailing behind. Rope stretched up both sides of the whale and appeared to be caught in the whale's mouth. I came across this whale in shallow, green, murky water, approximately 60 meters depth. The whale was still able to swim, though it appeared exhausted. It did not fluke, and the netting was not visible from the surface. Sadly, this whale most likely died shortly after this encounter.
    entangled-pygmy-blue-whale-fishing-n...tif
  • This is an adult pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) entangled in a fishing net. The net was wrapped around the base of the whale's fluke, with substantial net and rope trailing behind. Rope stretched up both sides of the whale and appeared to be caught in the whale's mouth. I came across this whale in shallow, green, murky water, approximately 60 meters depth. The whale was still able to swim, though it appeared exhausted. It did not fluke, and the netting was not visible from the surface. Sadly, this whale most likely died shortly after this encounter.
    blue-whale-entangled-fishing-net-sri...tif
  • This pair of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticeus) from the endangered Okhotsk Sea subpopulation clearly exhibit signs of epidermal molting. Bowhead whales engage in exfoliation during the northern hemisphere summer by rubbing against rocks in shallow water. Possible reasons why the whales do this include shedding of ectoparasites such as whale lice (cyamids) and diatoms, as well as the replacement of skin damaged by sun exposure. Relatively warm temperatures in shallow water during the summer months may also be conducive to stimulating epidermal growth by promoting greater cutaneous bloodflow and delivery of nutrients and hormones to facilitate replacement of skin.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • This is a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) relaxing at the surface in shallow water. It is a member of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation, about which little is known. The population is thought to number in the low hundreds, but data is minimal. Note the rake marks from orcas visible on the front of the whale. Orcas in this area are known to target these whales.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • This bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a part of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation, with population estimates in the low hundreds. This individual was turned upside-down while performing loud percussive slaps on the ocean surface with the dorsal surface of its fluke. Orca rake marks are visible on the corners of the whale’s fluke. The whale was part of a large social gathering, comprising well over 50 whales. This whale’s tail slapping could be heard for a long distance. When this whale stopped, the gathering dissolved, with whales breaking moving away as singles and in smaller groups.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 3 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • Whale bacon and whale sashimi for sale at the Tore Tore Market in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture. The labels indicates that the whale products are sourced from the research whaling in the Southern Ocean.
    whale-bacon-and-sashimi-research-wha...tif
  • Whale lice are amphipods that scavenge for food on whales’ bodies, including consuming skin and flesh of whales. This species (Cyamus scammoni) lives exclusively on gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). There is sexual dimorphism among adult Cyamus scammoni, with males being larger than females. Unlike the young of most other marine crustaceans, which have a planktonic larval stage, juvenile whale lice mature in a pouch-like structure called the marsupium, which is located on the underside of females. There is a small whale louse visible on the right side of this large amphipod’s head, hidden between the head and the forward right appendage. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    cyamus-scammoni-whale-lice-gray-whal...tif
  • Male humpback whale that was accompanying a female with calf. This whale seemed to be singing, but upon comparison of recordings of the sounds this whale was making with recordings of the seasonal song sung by other whales in the same area, it became clear that this whale was not singing the song. It is not clear what the purpose of the sounds made by this whale was. The whale vocalized for at least 40 minutes. When the female and calf commenced playing, this whale stopped vocalizing.
    humpback-whale-singer-shallow-water-...tif
  • Student engaged in laborious and smelly task of cleaning rib bones of an 18-meter female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found in Tokyo Bay in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Pictured here are the rear vertebrae.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • An adult gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) surfacing to take a breath, with tourists in a whale watch boat in the background. Note the extensive barnacle (Cryptolepas rhachianecti) cover on the whale. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    whale-watch-tourists-gray-whale-baja...tif
  • Part of the spinal column and vertebrae of a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) on a rocky short along the Northwest Passage that passes above Somerset Island in Nunavut Province, Canada
    bowhead-whale-bones-balaena-mysticet...tif
  • A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) entangled by longline fishing gear. This whale was still able to swim, but was very weak. The fishing line had immobilized both pectoral fins, slicing through them as is visible here. The whale was infested with whale lice (Cyamus boopis), and there were a number of large sharks trailing it, including tiger sharks and bronze whalers. Another healthy whale was accompanying this whale, though it was clearly unable to assist. This whale most likely died soon after this sighting.
    longline-fishing-gear-entanglement-h...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 7 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • Examining and cleaning the large vertebrae comprising the central part of the spinal column of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Intricate pattern formed by the vertebrae comprising the neck area of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Gloves and a knife used in the cleaning of the fin whale (Balaennoptera physalus) carcass. Cleaning and preparing a whale skeleton is difficult and smelly work.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The whale's shoulder blades and some of its ribs are visible here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Infestation of whale lice (Cyamus scammoni) in the blowholes of a gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus). Whale lice are amphipods that scavenge for food on the whale's body, including the whale's skin and flesh. There is sexual dimorphism among adult Cyamus scammoni, with males being larger than females. Unlike the young of most other marine crustaceans, which have a planktonic larval stage, juvenile whale lice mature in a pouch-like structure called the marsupium, which is located on the underside of females. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    whale-lice-cyamus-scammoni-infestati...tif
  • This gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) hosts a population of commensal barnacles (Cryptolepas rhachianecti) and whale lice (Cyamus scammoni) which are amphipods that scavenge for food on the whale's body, including the whale's skin and flesh. There is sexual dimorphism among adult Cyamus scammoni, so the large individuals visible in this photograph are male. The females are smaller. Unlike the young of most other marine crustaceans, which have a planktonic larval stage, juvenile whale lice mature in a pouch-like structure called the marsupium, which is located on the underside of females.
    whale-lice-cyamus-scammoni-on-gray-w...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 15 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 10 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 6 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 7 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This is a piece of skin that was shed from the dorsal surface of the fluke of a female humpback whale. The whale repeatedly held her fluke above the surface of the ocean while resting in a head-down position, such that her body was oriented vertically in the water. There was significant peeling or shedding of skin from the fluke’s dorsal surface, most likely due to normal sloughing off of skin. I speculate that another possibility could be that the whale may have had sunburn as a consequence of her resting behaviour. Note the pattern of the skin. Date of encounter was 18 August 2017. See separate photos of fluke above water.
    humpback-whale-skin-201708-5917-5933.tif
  • Open nostrils of an adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) surfacing to breathe. This female was accompanied by her male calf. Note the whale lice (Cyamus boopis) clinging to the whale’s nostrils.
    humpback-whale-nostrils-whale-lice-t...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) at rest while her calf was playing at the ocean surface. Note the small stream of bubbles coming from her blowholes. From this angle, the pattern and array of tubercles on the whale’s head is clearly visible, as are the barnacles (Coronula diadema), whale lice (Cyamus boopis), and hairs on the whale’s jaw.
    humpback-whale-adult-female-resting-...tif
  • This was a young, relatively friendly blue whale. Over the course of several hours, this whale approached the boat I was in seven times when it surfaced from feeding in deeper water. From this angle, the whale’s powerful, well-muscled caudal region is visible. The whale’s flexibility and sinuous S-curve swimming motion is also apparent.
    blue-whale-caudal-musculature-sinuou...tif
  • Lifting the long and heavy jaw bone of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Part of the vertebral structure of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Spinal disc and fragments from the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Part of the task was to re-assemble the fragement, much like working on a complex jigsaw puzzle.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Upper half of the skull of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here, with the bulldozer in the background that was used to exhume the whale carcass.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • The rostrum of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from the water. This whale was part of a group of humpback whales engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding. Viewing this image at 100%, you can see the tubercles (including single follicles of hair protruding from some of them), an injury to one of the tubercles, and a few whale lice (Cyamus boopis) at the tip of the lower jaw. Note also the barnacles under the jaw, which are humpback whale barnacles (Coronula diadema), that grow only on humpback whales. In addition, growing on the humpback whale barnacles are a type of gooseneck barnacle (Conchoderma auritum), that appear only on humpback whale barnacles.
    humpback-whale-rostrum-tubercles-par...tif
  • Single vertebrae bone of a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) on a slope overlooking Cunningham Inlet, Somerset Island in Nunavut Province, Canada. Photographed late at night, during the long twilight of the Arctic summer.
    bowhead-whale-vertebrae-balaena-myst...tif
  • Skeleton of a 46-foot  male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) suspended from the ceiling of Gosnell Hall in the Nantucket Historical Museum. This whale stranded on New Year's day 1998. The whaling boat beneath the whale is an authentic whaling boat from nearby New Bedford. The whaling tools and implements displayed on the wall are also authentic.
    sperm-whale-skeleton-whaling-boat-na...tif
  • Mature Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) diving down to forage for food. This whale had an injury to the left lobe of its fluke, perhaps resulting from an attack when it was younger. The whale also had a prominent notch in the trailing edge of its dorsal fin, and an injury on its dorsal surface on the left side of its dorsal fin. These markings make it easy to identify this whale.
    brydes-whale-injured-fluke-balaenopt...tif
  • This is blue whale feces, discharged by a whale that had surfaced after feeding on krill in deep water in southern Sri Lanka. The neon red-orange color of the defecation is due to the whale's krill-based diet. The feces dissolve rapidly, as is apparent from the fizzing around the large clumps in this image. Photo taken under permit.
    blue-whale-feces-krill-Balaenoptera-...tif
  • This is a head-on view of a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), an individual in the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation. The whale’s interlocking jaw structure is clearly visible from this angle. Also visible are rake marks from orca attacks. This population is actively hunted by orcas. The whales enter shallow bays in order to seek shelter from orcas, as well as to socialize and rub against rocks for molting their skin in the summer months.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • This is a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) resting at the surface in very shallow water. This individual is part of the endangered Sea of Okhotsk subpopulation. Best estimates put the total size of this population in the low hundreds, most having being killed by commercial whalers. This individual is relatively dark, with not as much white on its body. The mottled discoloration of skin is indicative of epidermal molting, which these whales engage in during the summer months.
    balaena-mysticetus-endangered-okhots...tif
  • Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) commencing a dive. Note the muscularity powering the whale’s fluke, and the visibility of the rib structure. Classification of Bryde’s whales is difficult and uncertain due to insufficient study and information.
    balaenoptera-edeni-brydes-whale-2013...tif
  • This is a view of the rostrum of a humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) with a substantial infestation of whale lice (Cyamus boopis). This species of parasite is endemic to humpback whales. Infestations like this are common among humpbacks.
    humpback-whale-calf-lice-infestation...tif
  • This is a male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) launching partially out of the water with his mouth open while playing together with his mother. The little whale’s baleen is clearly visible.
    humpback-whale-calf-mouth-open-20180...tif
  • This is a view from underwater of an adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a reverse tail slap or penduncle slap. Pictured here, the whale has just slapped the surface of the ocean with the dorsal side of her penduncle and fluke, resulting in the copious whitewater and froth visible in this image. This whale did this repeatedly as part of extended play with her female calf, which was executing tail slaps and breaching.
    humpback-whale-reverse-tail-slap-und...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 2 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • Whale meat for sale in a supermarket. The label on the top right with the blue whale tail indicates that this meat is from the southern hemisphere research whaling. As such, it is probably minke whale. This is meant for raw consumption as sashimi.
    minke-whale-sashimi-supermarket-japa...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 2 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • This is the primary or dominant escort in a humpback whale competitive group, also known as a heat run. Male whales are competing for the female whale, which is the one with a long white slash mark on her torso, and a smaller one closer to her face. This behavior of blowing a massive trail of bubbles requires a substantial supply of air. The respiratory and digestive tracts of most animals, including humpback whales, are not connected. It is therefore not clear how humpback whales execute this behavior. After observing this heat run for an extended period of time, I was able to watch the entire sequence from beginning to end three times, and thus to confirm that the dominant whale did not gulp air at the surface. It inflated its throat pouch with air when it was submerged. This suggests that there is a mechanism by which a humpback whale can temporarily connect its respiratory tract to its digestive tract, thus shunting air from its lungs to its throat. This sequence thus provides photographic support for just such an anatomical link, as first proposed in a 2007 paper in The Anatomical Record by Reidenberg and Laitman.
    humpback-whale-bubble-blowing-sequen...tif
  • This is the primary or dominant escort in a humpback whale competitive group, also known as a heat run. Male whales are competing for the female whale, which is the one with a long white slash mark on her torso, and a smaller one closer to her face. This behavior of blowing a massive trail of bubbles requires a substantial supply of air. The respiratory and digestive tracts of most animals, including humpback whales, are not connected. It is therefore not clear how humpback whales execute this behavior. After observing this heat run for an extended period of time, I was able to watch the entire sequence from beginning to end three times, and thus to confirm that the dominant whale did not gulp air at the surface. It inflated its throat pouch with air when it was submerged. This suggests that there is a mechanism by which a humpback whale can temporarily connect its respiratory tract to its digestive tract, thus shunting air from its lungs to its throat. This sequence thus provides photographic support for just such an anatomical link, as first proposed in a 2007 paper in The Anatomical Record by Reidenberg and Laitman.
    humpback-whale-bubble-blowing-sequen...tif
  • Cyamus ovalis, one of three whale lice species known to associate with right whales. Whale lice are amphipods. This specimen is from a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) in South Africa. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    cyamus-ovalis-whale-louse-right-whal...tif
  • Close-up view of the fluke of a pygmy blue whale. I had nine consecutive encounters with this inquisitive whale. During a couple of the encounters, the whale allowed me to swim along with it and even directly above it as if I were a remora. I was only able to do this because the whale slowed down to let me keep pace as it swam along at minimal speed near the surface. This was a mature whale, length exceeding 20 meters.
    blue-whale-fluke-underwater-close-up...tif
  • Piecing together fragments of the spinal discs of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is time-consuming and tedious, requiring lots of concentration.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Proper preparations for lifting the upper skull of the whale from the excavation put were required to ensure integrity of the skull structure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Proper preparations for lifting the upper skull of the whale from the excavation put were required to ensure integrity of the skull structure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lower jaw bones of an exhumed 18-meter long fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) carcass.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The whale's vertebrae are visible here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • This is a Bryde's whale that was feeding in the same area as a number of blue whales. The taxonomic status of Bryde's whales is complex. There are several genetically distinct species and/ or subspecies in the scientific literature, including Balaenoptera brydei, Balaenoptera edeni, and Balaenoptera omurai.
    brydes-whale-balaenoptera-edeni-sri-...tif
  • This is the pectoral fin of a dead blue whale, found floating in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka. Blue whales have relatively short pectoral fins in relation to their body size. This whale was probably killed by a ship strike in the busy shipping lanes that run directly through blue whale feeding grounds. Photo taken under permit.
    pectoral-fin-blue-whale-Balaenoptera...tif
  • This is the genital slit of a dead blue whale, found floating south of Mirissa in Sri Lanka. The tip of the whale's penis appears to be protruding from the animal. The whale was most likely struck by one of the many container ships in the busy shipping lanes that coincide with the feeding grounds of blue whales and other cetaceans in the area. Other photos of this whale show a deep scar in the whale's caudal area, suggestive of a direct bow strike by a large commercial ship. Photograph taken under permit.
    dead-blue-whale-genital-slit-penis-B...tif
  • This is a rear view of a male humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) engaged in a dominance display by blowing a stream of air bubbles. Visible in the top left background is a female humpback whale. This female was associated with the male blowing bubbles. The pair were approached by several other males, which precipitated the bubble blowing seen here. A portion of one of the other whales is visible in the bottom right corner. Displays like this are a common behavior among male humpback whales accompanying females during the breeding season.
    humpback-whale-male-bubbles-dominanc...tif
  • This is a female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) swimming together with her mother at depth, ventral surfaces of both whales clearly visible. The proximity of the calf to mother and similarity of body language underscores the bond between the two. This mother and calf were accompanied by at least three escort whales in a dynamic situation.
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-tonga-201...tif
  • A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) that had an unusual dorsal fin, one that was split into three sections. It was not possible to determine whether this split dorsal was present from birth, or whether it was the result of an accident such as a propellor strike. I photographed this same whale in 2016 at Point Adolphus. (see unusual-dorsal-fin-humpback-whale-alaska-201607-2096.tif). In 2018, this whale was in a bubble-feeding group active in the Icy Strait, around Pleasant Island and Gustavus. This was one of two whales in the 2018 group that I recognized from 2016.
    unusual-dorsal-fin-humpback-whale-al...tif
  • This is a friendly blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus indica) that approached the boat each time it surfaced after a twenty to thirty minute foraging dive. In total, I had seven in-water encounters with this blue whale over several hours, ending only because it was getting late and we had to head back to port.
    blue-whale-balaenoptera-musculus-ind...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 17 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 16 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 13 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 11 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 8 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 9 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 5 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 4 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 1 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This is an adult female humpback whale that repeatedly held her fluke above the surface of the ocean while resting in a head-down position, such that her body was oriented vertically in the water. There was significant peeling or shedding of skin from the fluke’s dorsal surface, as seen in this photo. Though the peeling was most likely due to normal sloughing off of skin, it was reminiscent of how human skin peels when sunburned. I speculate that another possibility could be that the whale may have had sunburn as a consequence of her resting behaviour. Date of encounter was 18 August 2017. See separate detail photograph of skin recovered from the fluke of this whale.
    humpback-whale-fluke-sunburn-peeling...tif
  • Indian Ocean blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus indica) swimming into the blue. From this angle the substantial width of the fluke is apparent, and some of the whale’s musculature that powers the fluke is also visible.
    blue-whale-balaenoptera-musculus-ind...tif
  • This is the carcass of a 12.8m female Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei) that was brought into port on the bow of the ship pictured here. Though the cause of death was not entirely clear, the ship was known to have traveled for four to five days from China to Thailand. The whale could have died from impact. There were signs of blunt trauma, including the broken pectoral fin, which can be seen here. The whale was covered with bite marks from cookie cutter sharks, indicating that it was probably not one of the Gulf of Thailand’s resident Eden’s whales.
    dead-brydes-whale-thailand-201611-00...tif
  • This is the carcass of a 12.8m female Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei) that was brought into port on the bow of the ship pictured here. Though the cause of death was not entirely clear, the ship was known to have traveled for four to five days from China to Thailand. The whale could have died from impact. There were signs of blunt trauma, including the broken pectoral fin, which can be seen here. The whale was covered with bite marks from cookie cutter sharks, indicating that it was probably not one of the Gulf of Thailand’s resident Eden’s whales.
    dead-brydes-whale-thailand-201611-00...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 6 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • Pronounced dorsal fin of a Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in the shallow waters of the upper Gulf of Thailand. This whale was one of three that were foraging on anchovies. This whale's name is Jao Taengthai.
    brydes-whale-dorsal-gulf-thailand-20...tif
  • Reaching over to take samples of whale lice (Cyamus ovalis) from one of the callosities on a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) that was stopped next to the boat. Visible on the lower jaw of the whale are hairs, outward signs demonstrating that the whale is a mammal. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    obtaining-whale-lice-samples-from-so...tif
  • Cyamus ovalis, one of three whale lice species known to associate with right whales. on my hand for scale. Whale lice are amphipods. This specimen is from a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) in South Africa. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    whale-lice-cyamus-ovalis-southern-ri...tif
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) with an infestation of whale lice (Cyamis boopis), an ectoparasite that lives exclusively on humpback whales. Single hairs protruding from the round tubercules on the whale's head are also visible.
    humpback-whale-calf-whale-lice-infes...tif
  • Male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) with lots of scars on his head and forehead, many of which appeared to be parallel scars from encounters with other male sperm whales. The accumulated scars may have contributed to the whitened appeared of the whale's forehead.
    sperm-whale-male-with-white-head-and...tif
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
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Tony Wu Underwater Photography

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