The largest species of booby, the masked booby ranges from 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) long, with a 160–170 cm (63–67 in) wingspan and 1.2–2.2 kg (2.6–4.9 lb) weight. It has a typical sulid body shape, with a long pointed bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long slender wings and pointed tail. The adult is bright white with dark wings and a dark tail.

The sexes have similar plumage with no seasonal variation, but females are on average slightly heavier and larger than males. The bare skin around the face, throat and lores is described either as black or blue-black. It contrasts with the white plumage and gives a mask-like appearance.

The bill of the nominate subspecies is pale yellow with a greenish tinge, sometimes greyish at the base. Conical in shape, the bill is longer than the head and tapers to a slightly downcurved tip. Backward-pointing serrations line the mandibles. The primaries, secondaries, humerals and rectrices are brown-black. The inner webs of the secondaries are white at the base. The underwing is white except for the brown-black flight-feathers that are not covered by the white coverts.

This image was taken in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brazil

Tags:   _X4A3130-1 Masked Booby Masked Booby Birds Flickr Birds Atlantic Ocean Brazil

© All Rights Reserved

Common bottlenose dolphins are grey, and between 2 and 4 m (6.6 and 13.1 ft) long, and weigh between 150 and 650 kg (330 and 1,430 lb). Males are generally larger and heavier than females. In most parts of the world, adult length is between 2.5 and 3.5 m (8.2 and 11.5 ft); weight ranges between 200 and 500 kg (440 and 1,100 lb).

Dolphins have a short and well-defined snout that looks like an old-fashioned gin bottle, which is the source for their common name.

Like all whales and dolphins, though, the snout is not a true nose; the nose instead evolved into the blowhole on the top of their heads. Their necks are more flexible than other dolphins' due to five of their seven vertebrae not being fused together like in other dolphins.

This image was taken in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brazil in South America.

Tags:   _X4A2722-1 Dolphins Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins Botlenose Dolphins Bottle-nose Dolphins Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Cetacea Cetaceans

© All Rights Reserved

The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it rotates around its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a member of the family Delphinidae of toothed whales.

Spinner dolphins are small cetaceans with a slim build. Adults are typically 129–235 cm long and reach a body mass of 23–79 kg. This species has an elongated rostrum and a triangular or subtriangular dorsal fin. Spinner dolphins generally have tripartite color patterns. The dorsal area is dark gray, the sides light gray, and the underside pale gray or white.

Also, a dark band runs from the eye to the flipper, bordered above by a thin, light line. However, the spinner dolphin has more geographic variation in form and coloration than other cetaceans. In the open waters of eastern Pacific, dolphins have relatively small skulls with short rostra.[5] A dwarf form of spinner dolphin occurs around southeast Asia. In these same subspecies, a dark dorsal cape dims their tripartite color patterns.[8] Further offshore, subspecies tend to have a paler and less far-reaching cape. In certain subspecies, some males may have upright fins that slant forward.[8] Some populations of spinner dolphin found in the eastern Pacific have backwards-facing dorsal fins, and males can have dorsal humps and upturned caudal flukes.

The spinner dolphin lives in nearly all tropical and subtropical waters between 40°N and 40°S. The species primarily inhabits coastal waters, islands, or banks. However, in the eastern tropical Pacific, spinner dolphins live far from shore. Spinner dolphins may use different habitats depending on the season.

This image was taken in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brazil in South America.

Tags:   _X4A3288-1 Dolphins Spinner Dolphins Atlantic Ocean Cetaceans Cetacea Brazil

© All Rights Reserved

The rough-toothed dolphin is a relatively large species, with adults ranging from 2.09 to 2.83 metres (6.9 to 9.3 ft) in length, and weighing between 90 and 155 kilograms (198 and 342 lb); males are larger than females. Its most visible characteristic feature is its conical head and slender nose; other dolphins either have a shorter snout or a more visibly bulging melon on the forehead.

As the common name for the species implies, the teeth are also distinctive, having a roughened surface formed by numerous narrow irregular ridges. They have been reported to have between nineteen and twenty-eight teeth in each quarter of the jaw. The rough-toothed dolphins jaw on the outside is very distinct. The color of the lower jaw is usually white, but can have a hint of pink mixed in.

The flippers are set back further along the body than in other similar dolphins, although, at sea this dolphin may be confused with spinner, spotted and bottlenose dolphins. The dorsal fin is pronounced, being from 18 to 28 centimetres (7.1 to 11.0 in) in height. The animal's flanks are a light gray, while the back and dorsal fin are a much darker gray. Older individuals often have distinctive pinkish, yellow, or white markings around the mouth and along the underside.

This image was taken in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brazil, in South America

Tags:   _X4A3244-1 Dolphins Rough-toothed Dolphins Atlantic Ocean Brazil Cetaceans Cetacea

© All Rights Reserved

The magnificent frigatebird is the largest species of frigatebird. It measures 89–114 cm (2 ft 11 in – 3 ft 9 in) in length, has a wingspan of 2.17–2.44 m (7 ft 1 in – 8 ft 0 in) and weighs 1.1–1.59 kilograms (2 lb 7 oz – 3 lb 8 oz). Males are all-black with a scarlet throat pouch that is inflated like a balloon in the breeding season.

Although the feathers are black, the scapular feathers produce a purple iridescence when they reflect sunlight, in contrast to the male great frigatebird's green sheen. Females are black but have a white breast and lower neck sides, a brown band on the wings, and a blue eye-ring that is diagnostic of the female of the species. Immature birds have a white head and underparts.

This species is very similar to the other frigatebirds and is similarly sized to all but the lesser frigatebird. However, it lacks a white axillary spur, and juveniles show a distinctive diamond-shaped belly patch. The magnificent frigatebird is silent in flight, but makes various rattling sounds at its nest.

It spends days and nights on the wing, with an average flapping rate of 2.84 beat per second,[14] ground speed of 10 km/h (6.2 mph), covering up to 223 km (139 mi) before landing. They alternately climb in thermals, to altitudes occasionally as high as 2,500 m (8,200 ft), and descend to near the sea surface.

This image was taken in Rio de Janeiro Harbour in Brazil

Tags:   _X4A2588-1 Frigatebird Magificent Frigatebirds Flickr Birds Rio de Janeiro Brazil

© All Rights Reserved