Photo of the Day
Each day, we highlight one extraordinary photograph from National Geographic. Check out more of our photos here.
A large school of fish swims together underwater with a larger striped fish swimming nearby.
August 5, 2026 | Bait Ball
Near Baja California in Mexico, a group of striped marlins corral hundreds of smaller fish into a dense formation known as a bait ball, before feasting on their prey. Photographer Brooke Pyke used her underwater camera to capture “these majestic, agile hunters” as they chased the fish to the surface, she says, much like dogs herding sheep. As the marlins took turns swooping in to feed, a few sea lions joined the fray, diving headlong into the ball and dispersing the fish. This photo is featured in the "In Focus" series in the August 2026 issue of National Geographic.
