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Cricket Raspet

@chilipossum

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Saving seals, catching hawks, and riding ponies ⚡️✨☄️

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Orca teeth! Today a family of Killer Whales (Transients/Biggs) returned to Monterey Bay. They approached the boat (1 and 2), showed us unappetizing bits of their breakfast and blew some “rainblows” (3) before going directly beneath us. Later, we watched a mom show her calf how to pounce on a sea lion; in my photo (4), you can barely see it evading her (5) like a terrified matador. The calf gave it a try too (6), not nearly so powerfully, and then they left the sea lion unharmed (7).

Orcas - CA51As- Aurora’s Pod” and dozens of Humpback Whales too!

Thank you @blueoceanwhalewatch !

#orca #killerwhales #dolphins #dolphin #whalewatch #whalewatching #dolphinwatching #humpbackwhalebreaching #noaasmonteryeybaynationalmarinesanctuary #montereybay #montereybayarea #californiawildlife #mosslanding#orca #killerwhales #dolphins #dolphin #whalewatch #whalewatching #dolphinwatching #whale #montereybay #californiawildlife #mosslanding

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Two species:

Opalescent Nudibranch
Hermissenda opalescens
🧡 Cerata tipped with golden orange

vs.

Thick-horned Nudibranch
Hermissenda crassicornis
🧡 White line on leading edge of cerata

Spotted on a blade of seagrass where the two species’ range overlaps.

#nudibranch #nudibranchs #dockfoulersunion #seaslug #tidepooling #tidepools #rockpooling #marinebiology #marineecology #marineinvertebrates

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An endangered California native snail, going about its business in small, fragile dune habitat that is its only home.

Ten-Mile Shoulderband
Noya intersessa

#snail #mollusk #nativesnails #californiawildlife #landsnails #endangered #mendocinocounty

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Delighted to help put together an exhibit of some of the great art and photography made by community science banders and fellow hawkwatchers at the awesome Buteo Books in San Rafael. “Wings and Wisdom: 40 Years on Hawk Hill” a group show by Friends of Golden Gate Raptor Observatory artists (https://friendsofggro.com/) celebrating raptor migration along the Pacific Flyway and dedicated community.
September 17-Nov 1, 2025
Buteo Books, 2240 4th St, San Rafael
Check out the exhibit during business hours Wed-Sat.
Opening reception, Friday, Oct 3
6pm-8pm w/video screening by Nancy Brink and remarks by Allen Fish
Don’t miss it!
#birds #birdart #raptormigration #hawkhill #pacificflyway #birdphotography #sanrafael #birdbooks #artexhibit

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Bizzarre galls, mites, rusts, a few cute insects, and even a yellow slime mold on the move, all here to remind you that Gall Week September 2025 begins Sept 6! Join the project on iNaturalist.org and post your gall observations!

Plus bonus black-billed magpie at the end…

#gallwasp #oakgall #rusts #mites #roxboroughstatepark #coloradowildlife #coloradoinsects #arthropods #insects

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A fuzzy blob of California nudibranch sunshine. 🌅 Much appreciation to @owlandbearstudio and @coyotebrushstudios for their pins, stickers and other artwork of this charming local species.

Acanthodoris lutea

#nudibranchs #nudibranch #seaslug #intertidal #marineecology #marinebiology #californiawildlife #ocean #dockfoulersunion #underwaterphotography #underwatermacro #underwatermacrophotography #olympustg6macro #tidepooling #oceanlife #underwaterworld #oceanlife #nudibranquios #nudibranchseaslug

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Presents
N U T S A B O U T M A C R O 🔍

Photographer: @chilipossum

C O N T E N T:Common rough woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)

I N F O: This js a species of isopod native to Europe but now found on every continent except Antarctica. This individual is infected with Iridovirus armadillidium1, a virus that multiplies extensively within the host and actually forms a paracrystalline network that produces a prism effect, making the normally dull brown-gray subject appear iridescent blue/purple.

L O C A T I O N: USA 🇺🇸

Selected by @kalebfriendphotography

NAM hub Owner Caroline @cowpi32

#nuts_about_MACRO
Follow @nuts_about_macro__

Personal Tag #chilipossum_nam
Subject Tag #commonroughwoodlouse_nam

The NAM team: @mc_macro_photography @mmurphs @vinikrish @abcdee_david @krista_c_photography @birdburdsbirds
@haldanesasha

#universal_macro_
#1macroshot
#macrogrammers
#raw_macro
#top_macro
#WildflowerWednesday
#macro_royals
#kings_macro
#macro_freaks
#macro_brilliance

#macro_highlight
#macro_perfection
#macro_drama
#bns_macro
#kings_macro

#macromood
#featured_macros
#bns_macro
#ecology

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Dark, then light.

Black-tipped Spiny Dorid nudibranch
Acanthodoris rhodoceras

#nudibranchs #nudibranch #seaslug #intertidal #marineecology #marinebiology #californiawildlife #ocean #dockfoulersunion #underwaterphotography #underwatermacro #underwatermacrophotography #olympustg6macro #tidepooling #oceanlife #underwaterworld

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The pink roof-of-mouth of a lunging humpback whale (cue @ericaustinyee for the marine mammal vocab word of the day!). I am lucky to have many friends who know that word! And yes, the anchovy in the corner got really, really lucky!

Thank you @blueoceanwhalewatch !

#whale #whales #humpbackwhale #dolphins #dolphin #whalewatching #monterey #marinemammals #marinebiology #marineecology #noaa #nature #animals #noaanationalmarinesanctuary #montereybay #montereybaynationalmarinesanctuary

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I have a Spanish Shawl friend with a fabulously forked oral tentacle. We first met a few weeks ago, and yesterday we met up again, and @chilipossum got to say hello too - it’s doing well, even a bit bigger! 💜

Spanish Shawl nudibranch
Flabellinopsis iodinea

#spanishshawl #nudibranch #nudibranchs #uwphotography #uwmacro #underwatercreatures #underwaterphotography #underwaterworld #underwaterimages #marinebiology #marineecology #dockfoulersunion #dockfouling #monterey #montereycalifornia #montereybay #montereybaynationalmarinesanctuary #resilience #regeneration #naturephotography

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Top 10 photos from this weekend’s tidepooling with @chilipossum : chitons spawning, many fantastic flatworms, new-to-me mollusks and amphipods, a goofy-faced crab, a charming polychate worm, and of course, beautiful nudibranchs.

#nudibranch #chiton #tidepooling #tidepools #intertidal #marinelife #underwater #underwatermacrophotography #underwatermacro #dockfoulersunion #intertidalzone #rockpooling #marinebiology #marineecology

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Killer Whales feeding, Wed 3/27. The “real” photos are on my Facebook if you want to dive in! These are members of Louise’s pod, including her tiny new calf born this year! Prey was a large elephant seal or sea lion (thank you @chilipossum and @suesuesuedeeoh for the “parts” ID) - the rest of you are hereby warned that the last two photos in this summary have an ick factor, as a ribcage was transferred from a subadult to one of the females. Thank you for a great day @blueoceanwhalewatch !

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