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20100524_Harbor_Seal_Fur.jpg

Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)

(279 views)
by Terry Costales

I love the pattern of this seal's fur, but I would never entertain the idea of taking it away from her to use for myself.

20100530_Harbor_Seal_Big_Teeth.jpg

Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)

(278 views)
by Terry Costales

I know they are wild animals with big teeth and claws but jeez, don't they look cuddly?!

20100325_Harbor_Seal.jpg

Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)

(278 views)
by Terry Costales

Bette Davis eyes? Bedroom eyes? Puppy dog eyes? They've got nothing on harbor seal eyes! The little slit behind the eye is the ear which is an easy way to distinguish it from a sea lion with its little external ear.

20100614_Killdeer_eggs_Oakland_Middle_Harbor_Park.jpg

Killdeer eggs

(277 views)
by Terry Costales

This was the second killdeer nest I'd found. The first one was on gravel and this one on flowerbed mulch. Both times the nests were easily overlooked and the eggs hard to spot.

20100402_Sea_Lion_Swimming.jpg

Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(273 views)
by Terry Costales

This photo shows a sea lion swimming in the late afternoon sunlight beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz. Lovely light on a lovely animal.

20100513_California_Sea_Lion_Family_Portrait.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(271 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

20100601_Sea_Lion_King_Of_Mountain.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(270 views)
by Terry Costales

King of the mountain and he knows it.

20100318_Raft_of_Sea_Otter.jpg

Raft of Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(270 views)
by Terry Costales

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 . . .

20100521_California_Sea_Lion_Male_Close_Up.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(269 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

20100601_Sea_Lion_Expressions.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(269 views)
by Terry Costales

More of the endless variation of facial expressions you can always find in sea lions.

20100320_Raft_of_Sea_Otter.jpg

Raft of Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

20100526_Sea_Otter_With_Large_Shell.jpg

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

A shell was almost the size of the otter's head, but was no match for its appetite.

20100101.jpg

Macaws

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.

20100604_Young_Sleepy_California_Sea_Lion.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

A very young sea lion was sleepily curious about his observers.

20100427_Sea_Lions_Under_Wharf.jpg

Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

Sea Lions swam in and out of sunlight and shade beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz.

20100519_California_Sea_Lion_Elkhorn_Slough.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

A very large male sea lion with a much smaller female.

20100319_Sea_Otter_Groomed.jpg

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

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

20100604_Demure_California_Sea_Lion.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

A female sea lion tried to appear very demure.

20100523_California_Sea_Lion_Sleepy.jpg

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

(268 views)
by Terry Costales

Portrait of a large male sea lion sleepily surveying his domain.

20100511_Sea_Otter_Grooming_Traps_Air.jpg

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(267 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

20100526_Sea_Otter_Plate_On_Stomach.jpg

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(267 views)
by Terry Costales

The otter balanced his "plate" on his stomach while enjoying that last little morsel.

20100508_Brants_Cormorant_Preening.jpg

Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)

(267 views)
by Terry Costales

This photo of a Brandt's Cormorant preening shows the decorative white plumes they acquire during the breeding season.

20100413_Sea_Otter_Persuade.jpg

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(267 views)
by Terry Costales

This is one otter trying to persuade another otter to share its meal. It wasn't very successful.

20100522_Brown_Pelicans_Moss_Landing.jpg

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus)

(267 views)
by Terry Costales

These two pelicans were one pair of dozens loitering around the marina, all waiting for a fishy opportunity. The one on the left was an immature bird which had not grown into its adult plumage.

20100517_Sea_Otter_Paparazzi.jpg

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

(267 views)
by Terry Costales

Here is another otter grooming or maybe he is thinking "oh, not another boatload of paparazzi!"

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