Northern Elephant Seals Fighting, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, CA 02feb2008
03 Dec 2009. Featured photo in Quote Snack Blog about Nature.
** Harsh critique welcomed **
Northern Elephant Seals fighting for territory and mates, Piedras
Blancas, San Simeon, CA 02feb2008 - photo by Michael "Mike"
L. Baird bairdphotos.com Canon 1D Mark III w/ 600mm f/4 IS lens on tripod.
Note: time of photo was 07:51 AM - Camera EXIF reflects incorrect time
setting due to incorrect daylight savings adjustment.
27 Sept. 2008 National Geographic submission caption: Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) - two males fighting for territory and mates. Taken in early morning light at Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, CA 02 Feb 2008. Elephant Seals are of the Phocidae ("true seals") family, and derive their name from their great size and from the male's large proboscis, which is used in making loud roaring noises, especially during the mating competition shown here. Impressive as they look in their mass and ferocity, these two males are not fully mature. My NG Gallery.
Creative Commons use note: This is a Featured Picture on the English Wikipedia and has been selected to appear as Picture of the Day on August 22, 2008. Congratulations! This image was selected as picture of the day on the English Wikipedia for August 22, 2008.
06sept2008 CC license use at www.blurtit.com/groups/Wikipedian_On_Blurtit
17 May 2009 submitted to photocontest.smithsonianmag.com 7th Annual Contest smithsonianmag [at} mikebaird d o t com
Creative Commons use note in Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elephant_seals_fighting.jpg says
This file was a candidate in Picture of the Year 2008.
This is a featured picture on Wikimedia Commons (Featured pictures)
and is considered one of the finest images.
This is a featured picture on the English language Wikipedia (Featured
pictures) and is considered one of the finest images.
This photo was posted to Wikipedia. It is one of two of my Elephant Seal photos that appears on the
related Wikipedia pages at
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_seal and
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Elephant_Seal
to
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mating_scene_with_elevated_Alp...
and
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elephant_seals_fighting.jpg and
File:Elephant_seals_fighting.jpg from www.flickr.com/photos/72825507@N00/2238575400/
keywords: elephant seal, Northern Elephant Seal, M.
angustirostris,Mammal,piedras blancas,blancas,san simeon
10 June 2012 submitted to www.dcppcalendarcontest.com/
Photo contest op. San Luis Obispo County Emergency Preparedness
Calendar.
12 Nov 2012 signed release for use in "Nature's Greatest
Battles" National Geographic Show. Ref.100_Daniel Bostock_Runner
– Arrow Media_@ArrowIntMedia
02 MAy 2012 My fighting Elephant Seals image www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2238575400/ is expected to appear on the National Geographic Wild channel soon channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/
Comments and faves
patmans, rogerale, Pat Ulrich, jkrlos36, and 23 other people added this photo to their favorites.
allanhowell1 (64 months ago | reply)
Superb action captured.....
patmans (64 months ago | reply)
super !
kevincole (64 months ago | reply)
Great behavioral capture Mike. Excellent!!!
Pat Ulrich (64 months ago | reply)
wow - now that is awesome!! great shot!
I saw this magnificent wildlife image in Born Free, Living Free , a group dedicated to the photography of wildlife in their natural habitat.
slobirdr (64 months ago | reply)
You got it Mike! The water and the animals are crisp, the water as a background makes the seals jump out at you and the splashed water in the foreground adds to the action. Great shot!
mikebaird (64 months ago | reply)
slobirdr Thanks Greg if you like it it can't be all that bad! Appreciate your detailed critique - helps in knowing what to try for again.
jkrlos36 (64 months ago | reply)
Great capture..!
I nominate this photo for the National Geographic: The World Around Us cover!
priscilla.starling (64 months ago | reply)
Wow...Mike..what a display of might and power!! You captured their raw beauty! Thank you so much for adding this great photo to my new group...Mother Nature (At her best)
.Kikaytete.QNK (64 months ago | reply)
This is an Astounding Image!!
alsieber (64 months ago | reply)
Greetings, I am one of the Moderators in the Flicker Diamond Group. Please note that in our group, all photos must receive an invite (comment ist not an invite!) before being posted to the pool. Please would you mind reading our Group Rules.
Our Invite Pool Sweepr software was not able to detect our invite comment on this image which was added to our group and has been removed from our pool. This does not mean that your photo is not worthy of our group. If you think your picture should get an invite to our group please you may post your picture on a thread located here.
Want a Diamond - then give a Diamond!
Or ask the 'commenter' to change the the comment to invite, if you only have a comment...
Feel free to delete this comment once you have read it.
Thank you,
alsieber
Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
kate053 (64 months ago | reply)
excellente photo
-salzherz- (64 months ago | reply)
Powerful image.
kalsang35 (64 months ago | reply)
Great action shot.
Your photo is “A” Class
Seen in “A” Class group
trishaaristead (64 months ago | reply)
Great action shot.
Centro#11 [ Alessandro Cinus ] (64 months ago | reply)
Your photo is “A” Class
Seen in “A” Class group
io sono vanna (64 months ago | reply)
nice capture
Your Platinum Photo has earned a Platinum Star!
Collect 5 stars to enter Photo of the Weekcontests!
Questions?
Max Waugh Photography (64 months ago | reply)
Interesting action, and in the water no less!
The Nature Group
alje (64 months ago | reply)
This is an Astounding Image!!
Coyotos [deleted] (64 months ago | reply)
Impressive capture !!
--
Seen in Canon Super Telephoto (?)
jurassic john (64 months ago | reply)
This is an Astounding Image!!
roblind.com (64 months ago | reply)
Great shot! Thanks for putting it into my group 'wildlife @ canon 600mm f4'
Pablo Rosenthall (61 months ago | reply)
You must have got dangerously close to get a picture of this!!! Its just amazing how impressive it looks!
mikebaird (61 months ago | reply)
pablopele Not dangerous or disturbing the animals fortunately - Taken from the sanctioned wood walkway observation area, but I used a long 600mm lens. The morning light made the image.
re: the Elephant Seal battle at flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2238575400/
howcheng (58 months ago | reply)
This is a Featured Picture on the English Wikipedia and has been selected to appear as Picture of the Day on August 22, 2008. Congratulations!
mikebaird (58 months ago | reply)
howcheng Thanks for the heads up! re: This is a Featured Picture on the English Wikipedia and has been selected to appear as Picture of the Day on August 22, 2008. Congratulations!
grandmasandy+chuck (55 months ago | reply)
Wonderful to have caught the action so well. They are really going at it. Congratulations.
stammberger13 (54 months ago | reply)
amazing capture!!
simashin (52 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called tele zoom lenses photo, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
GwG photography (46 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called photograph around the world, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Michael.Doering (44 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Seals - all kinds, and we'd love to have this and all others of your seal pictures added to the group!
mikebaird (44 months ago | reply)
Michael.Doering I can't add this Elephant Seal to more Groups due to Flickr limits, but if you configure your invitation to show "OK Add It" I can click that and it will take - thanks.
cotta201 (39 months ago | reply)
Amazing!
The_Circumference (38 months ago | reply)
Hello!
Just wanted to let you know that your photo has been featured in a travel article on The Circumference with a link back.
You can view the article here:
www.thecircumference.org/experiences/piedras- blancas-elep...
Thanks for sharing your fantastic photo!
- The Circumference
mikebaird (38 months ago | reply)
Thanks for the Creative Commons use and use note - great article and visuals!
The_Circumference wrote
mikebaird (6 months ago | reply)
Commercial Use note:
12 Nov 2012 signed release for use in "Nature's Greatest Battles" National Geographic Show. Ref.100_Daniel Bostock_Runner – Arrow Media_@ArrowIntMedia
mikebaird (4 months ago | reply)
28 Jan 1013 CC use approved:
Robyn, yes I'd be pleased for you to use that photo.
I think it tells the story.
Attribution to
Michael L. Baird
by way of a faint side mark or other means would be appreciated if practicable.
I wish you the very best success in your project!
Only if you have questions, you can refer to my boilerplate below:
Thanks for asking to use this image. www.flickr.com/people/mikebaird/#credit answers every question ever asked about using my photos under Creative Commons (CC) Attribution: How to attribute ("Mike" Michael L. Baird, flickr.bairdphotos.com), access full-resolution versions (view all-sizes), how to please link back to the image page, and how to please comment on the image used, linking to your use in a comment
Q: Hello,
My name is Robyn, and I am the Park Interpretive Specialist for the Northern San Luis Obispo Coast District, California State Parks. I am working on a sign that will redirect visitors to the authorized elephant seal viewing areas north of Hearst Castle. I am wondering if you would allow me to use your photo of the two bulls sprawling in the water? I have attached a draft of the sign for you to review my plans. I think your photo captures the excitement and drama among the animals during this special time of year. I look forward to your response.
Photo Link: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elephant_seal s_fighting.jpg
Thank you,
Robyn Chase
Park Interpretive Specialist (Seasonal), California State Parks
San Luis Obispo Coast District
750 Hearst Castle Road
San Simeon, CA 93452