| Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) were nearly wiped out by sealers. Researchers estimate that fewer than 30 animals survived, all hiding amid the rocks and caves at Guadalupe Island. It is from these few that the entire recovering northern elephant seal population is descended. | Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus townsendi) were nearly driven into extinction, with a small holdout colony hiding from sealers at Guadalupe Island. However, their recovery is not as robust as that of the northern elephant seal, and they have only recently begun to establish breeding colonies away from Guadalupe. | | The California seal lion (Zalophus californianus) is found at Guadalupe Island, frequenting the offshore islets, especially Isla Afuera where the above photograph was taken. California sea lions are generally much bolder and more comfortable with divers than are Guadalupe fur seals. | | | Large white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) inhabit the waters around Guadalupe Island, feeding on the island's resident pinnipeds and seasonal schools of large tuna. Divers occasionally encounter white sharks there, and fatal attacks have taken place there in spite of the fact that very few people actually dive at Guadalupe Island. In recent years divers have been viewing the sharks from the safety of a shark proof enclosure. | Cetacean species found at Guadalupe Island include large herds of Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, above) as well as the more rarely seen beaked whales. It is thought that the beaked whales feed for large squid in the deep water. | Cortez chubb (Kyphosus elegans) including a golden phase exhibited by breeding males | A massive school of jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus) surrounds a videographer. | Scythe butterflyfish (Prognathodes falcifer), commonly found among boulders. | Swallowtail damselfish (Azurina hirundo) | Rainbow scorpionfish (Scorpaenodes xyris) | Horn shark (Heterodontus francisci) | Whitetail Gregory (Stegastes leucorus leucorus) | Juvenile garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus) | Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi), a popular and tasty gamefish found at Guadalupe Island. Two record yellowtail were speared on our annual diving trip in 1999. | The Guadalupe cardinalfish (Apogon guadalupensis), commonly seen in groups under rock ledges. | Guadalupe Island is steep and falls abrupty into deep oceanic water, and consequently is frequented by weird pelagic creatures such as Pelagia noctiluca (left) and Beroe forskalii (right), a pelagic ctenophore (comb jelly). Our 1994 trip even provided one videographer with footage of an exceedingly rare juvenile oarfish. | |
