If you're interested in using any of these photographs in any way, please contact me. Send an e-mail to naturalhistoryphotos(at)gmail.com. Thanks!

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Shadows of the sea


Ready for pelagic week?  I joined a trip to Bodega Canyon and Cordell Bank today (25 August 2019).  So I'll be sharing some photos from offshore during the next week.  Above, a Northern Right Whale Dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis) leaps from the water next to the boat.  They look unusual because they lack a dorsal fin.

Northern Right Whale Dolphins are fast and unpredictable, making them difficult to photograph.  When they break the surface, they produce an impressive splash:



These dolphins are very dark above, so they almost look like shadows when swimming under water.  But check out the paler frosting on the flukes:



Here's another example of their shadowy silhouette:



Because they lack a dorsal fin, when viewed from a distance Northern Right Whale Dolphins can look a little odd. Below, here's one surfacing note the very streamlined shape:


2 comments:

Alice Chan said...

Amazing critters!
And I look forward to seeing more photos from that trip.

Jeanne Jackson said...

Thanks for showing me this dolphin. Beautiful!