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BajaGringo
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Elephant Seals at San Martin Island Lagoon
This is the lagoon at San Martin Island. At low tide the entrance is treacherous at best.
[Edited on 12-23-2008 by BajaGringo]
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BajaGringo
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Some photos of the "residents" at the lagoon, basking the late afternoon sun.
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BajaGringo
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BajaGringo
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BajaGringo
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Here are some of the local "lobos" waiting in line outside the reef for their turn at the next calico bass on the dinner menu...
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David K
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Fantastic... these are great choices for the next Baja Calendar (2010)!!!
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BajaGringo
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This guy let me walk up very close and didn't seem too concerned. When I went out to the reef to catch some of his compadres I looked back to find him
snooping in my camera bag that I had left behind on the beach.
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Packoderm
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I think those are seals instead of sea lions. Sea lions have external ears. Very nice photos.
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Marla Daily
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Elephant Seals + Harbor Seals
WOW! Great photos with FANTASTIC information for biologists. The second photo is an immature Elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)! Great to see
they have arrived at Isla San Martin. Their known population was reduced to a mere dozen known animals just after the turn of the century. These
survived at Guadalupe Island—a close call for the "almost extinct" records. From this bottleneck in their population they have rebounded to hundreds
of thousands of animals in a century.
The other photos are Harbor Seals (as opposed to California sea lions.) Howland's Lagoon, San Martin Island, is well-known for its large and RARE
resident breeding population and haul-out grounds for these very shy spotted seals (Phoca vitulina). They live year-round along the shorelines and
splash zones, feeding upon commercially unimportant fish. Adult harbor seals are about five feet long and weigh from 130 to 170 pounds. They are
easily recognizable by their spotted coats and lack of external ears. They pup and breed in March and April.
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Marla Daily
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ALL Elephant Seals
Just looked again. All photos appear to be immature elephant seal!
These pups are last year's crop. (I'll be helping tag a population of new pups this spring
2009 on the Northern Channel Islands.)
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BajaGringo
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Thanks for the lesson! My guess is that there were roughly 100-150 of them in and around the lagoon when I was there a few days ago. They are very
playful and inquisitive, following me as I moved around the lagoon and reef.
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Gaucho
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Another easy way to tell the differance between a seal and a sea lion is that sea lions can rotate their hind flippers forward and "walk" on all fours
unlike a seal who crawls on their stomach.
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Skipjack Joe
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Excellent lens on that camera.
Would you care to tell us what you used.
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BajaGringo
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I use a Nikon D70 and shot these photos with a Nikon AF-S Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6 G DX VR Auto Focus Lens. That particular lens helps to give
sharp images via vibration reduction according the specs. I have absolutely zero idea how it works but that is what the lens is supposed to do and my
photos taken in low light seem to support that claim...
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DianaT
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Just great photos----Number two is my absolute favorite. Really a cute pose.
Diane
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Tomas Tierra
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The three popping thier heads up in the kelps I believe are Harbor Seals...The rest are Elephantes..
Marla,
We were at Santa Rosa Isl last week..there are 10 zillion elephants waiting for you on all sides of the Island(5 zillion of those are inside Bee Rock
on the beach). With the exception of Carrington pt. To skunk Pt.Didn't see any in there...Have Fun (snort)
Great shots Gringo
[Edited on 12-23-2008 by Tomas Tierra]
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marv sherrill
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Great photos!!! - Visited the same lagoon 20 years ago - probably not the same elephant seals though...Very rewarding place to shoot pictures!!
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BajaGringo
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Thanks guys. I am truly humbled by your very kind remarks. Glad to see that you can the beauty that has absolutely captivated us and part of what
makes us so very happy that we made the decision to move to the San Quintin area.
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Ken Bondy
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Those are wonderful images BajaGringo!!!
carpe diem!
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EMAM
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Awesome pictures!! That shot of the 3 in a row looks hilarious, like kids walking to the lunch room
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