#mike korostelev

[sitting-on-me-bum]

"The Secret Life Of Underwater Hippopotamuses"

Seemingly coy hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) sit below the surface of the water, eyes fixed on the camera.

Kosi Bay Lake, South Africa.

By Mike Korostelev

BigPicture Natural World photography competition

[bearotonin-international]

hmm fisheye lens you say…

Source

[mutant-distraction]

The Fabulous Weird Trotters

Everyone knows that the whale is a mammal, but what few people know is that a whale calf nurses on its own, not through direct contact like other land mammals...To do this, the female whale squirts out her milk when her calf is near her to suckle. Indeed, whale milk has a high fat content (50%). Therefore, the milk has a thick and sticky texture and does not dissolve in water. Thus, the little whale can grab and eat the milk. A perfect calving geometry,

Photo Credits: Mike Korostelev

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Sperm whales have big heads-- and it's not just from ego! An adult sperm whale's head makes up a third of their body length. Much of its size comes from a set of organs located in the forehead, used for echolocation. These organs contain a substance called spermaceti, a special type of oil; the organs can collectively weigh over 13 tonnes (15 tons) and contain 3.6 tonnes (4 tons) of oil!

(Image: A shedding sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) by Mike Korostelev)

Bonus fun fact: Their scientific name literally means 'Blowhole Bighead'

[projectourworld]

Brown bear. Underwater view.

Ozernaya River, South-Kamchatka Federal Sanctuary, Kamchatka, Russia

Mike Korostelev. Moscow, Russia. Mike Korostelev is a passionate underwater and wildlife photographer based in Moscow. He was honored as Nature Photographer of the Year in 2017.

Courtesy: BigPicture Photography Awards. Winner. Terrestrial Wildlife #bear #wildlifephotography

[afrotumble]

How is it possible for a whale to breastfeed her baby in the middle of the ocean, yet there is no direct contact between the two? The answer lies in the composition of the milk. You see, when this young whale is ready to feed, the mother releases her milk directly into the water while her child is near, but because whale milk has such a high-fat content, it does not dissolve in the water. Instead this thick and sticky form of milk just kind of sits there for the baby to feed on.

Photography: Mike Korostelev

[gaiagalatea]

Foto von 

Mike Korostelev auf 

Getty Images

[petvetcarolin]

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Illuminating Underwater Photos Highlight the Gentle Beauty of Giant Whales

Photographer: Mike Korostelev

[agreatcircle]

The elephant in the sea Photo by Mike Korostelev -- National Geographic Your Shot

[lionfloss]

Mike Korostelev

[kkdas]

A feeding baby sperm whale 🐋

Whales breastfeed their young with milk that is very thick and rich in fat, perfect for a growing calf.

📷: Mike Korostelev

Source: Animal Planet

[projectourworld]

Hippo nursery by Mike Korostelev, Russia. Winner: underwater

Mike Korostelev reveals a hippopotamus and her two offspring resting in the shallow clear-water lake. For over two years he has been visiting the hippos in this lake and knew they were accustomed to his boat. He spent just 20 seconds under water with them – enough time to get this image from a safe distance and to avoid alarming the mother. Hippos produce one calf every two to three years. Their slow-growing population is particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation, drought, and illegal hunting for meat and ivory from their teeth. Location: Kosi Bay, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Photograph: Mike Korostelev/2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

Tout le monde sait que la baleine est un mammifère, mais ce que peu de gens savent, c'est qu'un baleineau s'allaite tout seul, et non pas par contact direct comme les autres mammifères terrestres. Pour ce faire, la baleine femelle fait jaillir son lait lorsque son baleineau est près d'elle pour le téter. En effet, le lait de baleine a une teneur élevée en matières grasses de 50 %

Par conséquent, la texture du lait est épaisse et collante et ne se dissout pas dans l'eau. Ainsi, la petite baleine peut saisir et manger le lait. Une géométrie de vêlage parfaite. 📸 Mike Korostelev

[rjzimmerman]

From The Guardian:

The winners of the European wildlife photographer of the year have been chosen in the competition’s first virtual awards ceremony. Here is the underwater world category winner: Whale Milk by Mike Korostelev, which shows a sperm whale feeding her calf. Photograph: Mike Korostelev/2020 GDT European wildlife photographer of the year.