|
|
|
|
|
top 25 items viewed per day
Week reset Sunday, Month reset the 1st, Year reset 1/1 |
|
(703 views)
To our left as we exited the harbor and entered the slough, we saw an old pier covered with sea lions. We slowly motored past them. It was quite satisfying to be at their level and so close to them. I feel like I ended up with a family portrait instead of a wildlife photo.
|
|
(702 views)
More of the endless variation of facial expressions you can always find in sea lions.
|
|
(700 views)
King of the mountain and he knows it.
|
|
(700 views)
This photo shows a sea lion swimming in the late afternoon sunlight beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz. Lovely light on a lovely animal.
|
|
(699 views)
A very young sea lion was sleepily curious about his observers.
|
|
(699 views)
Sea Lions swam in and out of sunlight and shade beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz.
|
|
(698 views)
A female sea lion tried to appear very demure.
|
|
(698 views)
A very large male sea lion with a much smaller female.
|
|
(697 views)
Close up of a male sea lion. According to Wiki, "Zalophus californianus" means "Californian big-head" because a male grows a crest of bone on top of his head that causes a bulging forehead.
|
|
(697 views)
The larger Great Egret was stalked by the smaller Snowy Egret.
|
|
(697 views)
The lion demonstrated camouflage.
|
|
(697 views)
Portrait of a large male sea lion sleepily surveying his domain.
|
|
(696 views)
Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.
|
|
(696 views)
A great egret at the edge of the bay looking for food. It is a very graceful bird whether walking or flying.
|
|
(696 views)
For an unforgettable wildlife experience, I highly recommend the Elkhorn Slough Safari in Moss Landing. We saw over one hundred sea otters, almost eighty harbor seals and dozens of sea lions very up close and personal.
This photo shows a raft of about eighty sea otters. Raft is the official label for a bunch of otters hanging out together, looking like a raft.
In addition to sea mammals, I also photographed sixteen species of birds. The trip was two hours of wildlife bliss. There were a few . . . |
|
(696 views)
This photo shows just part of a very large raft of otters we saw in the Elkhorn Slough. The older individuals had light faces, and such cute faces they were.
|
|
(696 views)
A large group of pelicans were perched on the fish processing equipment.
|
|
(696 views)
Here is another otter grooming or maybe he is thinking "oh, not another boatload of paparazzi!"
|
|
(696 views)
The pelican glides effortlessly over the surface of the sea.
|
|
(695 views)
The King contemplated freedom.
|
|
(695 views)
Here is an older otter, recognized by the light colored fur on its face. It is grooming itself after eating. Otters must have one of the cutest faces in the animal kingdom
|
|
(695 views)
Sea Otters appeared to spend a great deal of their time grooming themselves. They use their bodies as tables, so have to keep food scraps washed off. While they clean, they also push and sometimes blow air bubbles into their fur. The extra air trapped in their fur contributes to their buoyancy and increases insulation.
|
|
(695 views)
The fisherman hadn't noticed that a pelican had just landed next to him on the pier.
|
|
(695 views)
I know they are wild animals with big teeth and claws but jeez, don't they look cuddly?!
|
|
(695 views)
A very large, old Leopard Tortoise sunned itself that afternoon.
|
 |
| home • contact • topic guide • top 25 • photos • video • writing • blogs • upload • terms • privacy |