Smugshot: The pilot whale smiles contentedly for the camera as he swims through the Straits Of GibraltarThese remarkable 'mugshots' of a group of pilot whales were snapped last week in the clear blue waters of the Straits Of Gibraltar, the gateway to the Mediterranean sea.
After several loud 'barks' this whale stopped to gaze at its own reflection in the lens.
Don't let the big cartoon grin on this huge three-ton pilot whale fool you. While the 20-foot giants of the sea look like they're inviting play by blowing bubbles and sporting a huge grin, divers need to be be super-cautious of the toothed predators.
It's not unknown for a pilot whale that feels threatened by a diver to grab the offender and drag them to a great depth.
I'm forever blowing bubbles: The pilot whale - which is a cetacean more closely related to the dolphin than a true whale - breathes air like us, and has to surface regularly to take a breathBritish marine biologist Rory Moore, 28, from Crickhowell, Wales, spotted these animals last week in the deep blue waters of the Straits of Gibraltar.
His incredible images show how the curious animals - who rarely encounter humans because of strict diving restrictions due to heavy shipping traffic in the Straits - came and investigated him and his team, transfixed by their reflections in Rory's camera lens.
While one vain creature admires his reflection in the camera lens, a mother pilot whale ushers her precious calf away from the prying eyes of the diverssource: dailymail
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