Media Gallery: Photos Oldest

  • Whalers harpoon a right whale in this 1856 Currier & Ives print.

    Harpooning Whales
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    Whalers harpoon a right whale in this 1856 Currier & Ives print.
  • This radio device is used to track North Atlantic right whales. Suction cups hold the device to a whale's back, where it records data such as depth, water, temperature, and underwater sounds.

    Whale Tracking Device
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    This radio device is used to track North Atlantic right whales. Suction cups hold the device to a whale's back, where it records data such as depth, water, temperature, and underwater sounds. Read...
  • This photo provides a small glimpse of the amazing variety of whale skulls and skeletons available for study at the Smithsonian.

    Whale Collections
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    The Smithsonian has more whale skulls and skeletons than any other collection in the world. This photo provides a small glimpse of the amazing variety of skulls and skeletons available for study....
  • This whale is entangled in fishing gear. The inset shows how special fishing lines allow whales to escape such accidental entrapments.

    Fishing Gear Solutions
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    This whale is entangled in fishing gear. Entangled whales often need human help to break free from the fishing gear. The inset shows how special fishing lines allow whales to escape such accidental...
  • Charles Potter (left) and Dr. James Mead of the Smithsonian perform a post-mortem examination on a goose-beaked whale specimen.

    Goose-Beaked Whale Post-Mortem
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    Charles Potter (left) and Dr. James Mead of the Smithsonian perform a post-mortem examination on a goose-beaked whale specimen sent to them by colleagues at Portland State University.
  • The Smithsonian Marine Mammal team moves into action after a dead sperm whale is spotted floating off Cape Hatteras, N.C.

    Sperm Whale Post-Mortem
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    The Smithsonian Marine Mammal team moves into action after a dead sperm whale is spotted floating off Cape Hatteras, N.C. Smithsonian marine mammalogist Dr. James Mead is in the water.
  • A spectacled caiman patrols a salty pond at a Smithsonian research station in Panama.

    Spectacled Caiman
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    A spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodiles) patrols a salty pond at the Smithsonian Institution’s research station in Bocas del Toro, Panama. A bony ridge between its eyes gives it the appearance of...
  • Dr. Ilka C. “Candy” Feller studies mangroves in the small streams of Panama.

    Dr. Candy Feller Explores Mangroves
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    Dr. Ilka C. "Candy" Feller calls mangroves the 'nursery of the sea.' These important coastal habitats face many threats, including nutrient pollution from fertilizer runoff. That's the focus of much...
  • Dr. Candy Feller in the Field

    Dr. Candy Feller in the Field
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    Dr. Feller at White Pond on the island of Twin Cays, Belize. More about mangroves can be found in our Mangroves featured story.
  • Dr. Karen L. McKee collects a peat core in a mangrove forest in Belize.

    Dr. Karen L. McKee Studies Mangroves
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    Dr. Karen L. McKee collects a peat core in a mangrove forest in Belize. It will help her reconstruct how mangroves have changed over the past 8,000 years. Dr. McKee’s research has shown that when...
  • Red mangroves form an impenetrable, protective barrier against storms and tsunamis.

    Mangroves at the Sea’s Edge
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    From the water, red mangroves appear to form an impenetrable tangle of roots, trunks, and leaves—a protective barrier against storms and tsunamis. More about mangroves can be found in our Mangroves...
  • This orchid grows in the mangroves of Belize, providing beauty amidst the mud.

    Mangrove Orchid (Brassavola sp.)
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    This orchid (Brassavola sp.) grows in the mangroves of Belize—providing a spot of grace and beauty amidst the mud. More about the plants and animals found in mangrove forests can be found in the...