nlaroche's Identifications

This pod of 100s made great circles our stationary boat for about 30 minutes. They didn't seem to be feeding, the guides theorized that there was some mating behavior going on.

I believe this and Delphinis delphis are once again merged. Doing some checking.

It was the sound of approaching schools of common dolphins that would greet us first from the fog---a distant boiling of the water--- then the countless shining, leaping bodies. How can one not feel joy at the sight?

Mother and pup sea otter foraged this clam. Most of the clam was consumed by the time we were able to take the photo through the scope, with the pup cleaning up the last bits from the shell (mom is behind).

The wish-list jewel among a mixed pelagic dolphin super-pod feeding on anchovies. Such a thrill to see these sleek, speedy, dolphins, with their finless backs joining our bow riders.They are especially prone tobow riding when mixed with other species like the Lagenorhynchus and Delphinus we had today.

This pod of 100s made great circles our stationary boat for about 30 minutes. They didn't seem to be feeding, the guides theorized that there was some mating behavior going on.

I believe this and Delphinis delphis are once again merged. Doing some checking.

The Zalophus and the humpbacks were feeding together: the sea lions would come up in a concentrated boil, followed shortly by surfacing humpbacks. The fish finder on the boat was detecting large concentrations of fish (anchovies?) about 200 m depth.

This epizooic red alga grows on the pelage of some sea otters. In this tagged female, algae is visible covering the entire back of her head and neck. She also has algae on her abdomen, dorsum, and tail (less visible in photos). Alga ID confirmed through genetic analysis. Read more here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12275/abstract

Presence in the Pacific possibly the result of an introduction.