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A humpback whale with her calf photographed by Darren Rice in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Foa, Tonga

Bryde’s Whale

Nathan Meadows snapped this photo of a Bryde’s whale – which can reach 50 feet in length – about 20 miles off the Pacific coast of Baja, Mexico. He was using sardines to entice marlins and photograph them when a whale suddenly appeared and snatched up the bait.

Using a Canon 5D camera in a special housing, Meadows used snorkeling gear to maneuver easily. Eventually, more whales appeared, opening their massive jaws as the marlin pushed the bait up to the surface. “I thought it was a onetime event but the whale kept coming back to attack the sardines,” says Meadows. “It was a very dangerous shoot with the marlin spearing sardines inches from my jugular.” Source: Nathan Meadows / National Wildlife Photo Contest

posted by ScienceIllustrated / Flickr

Great white shark