By Femi Akinola
The ocean is home to some of the most giant creatures on Earth, many still shrouded in mystery. These giant creatures in the deeper part of the ocean play crucial roles in the ecosystems and have fascinated scientists and the public alike.
Research revealed that these underwater hegemons showcase the incredible diversity and scale of marine life, from the massive blue whale to the elusive giant squid.
One of the leading largest creatures under the water is the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). It is the largest marine mamal and bleen whale ever to have lived. This aquatic giant can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh 200 tons.
Blue whales can be found in oceans worldwide. They primarily feed on tiny shrimp-like animals called krill, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates (which hang from the roof of the mouth and work like a sleeve). Some of the biggest blue whales can eat up to 6 tons of krill a day.
A blue whale is bigger than any dinosaur. An adult blue whale can grow to a massive 30 metres long and weigh more than 180,000 kg—about the same size as 40 elephants or 2,670 average-sized human beings.
Can blue whales see humans while in the water? The answer is yes! Both humans and whales are mammals; our eyes are derived from a common ancestor. Not only can humans look at blue whales or any other type of whale, but we know enough about optics to infer their eyes’ capabilities from their anatomy.
Does whale eat human beings? Of course, yes! Whales are carnivorous animals, so they can swallow a human being. Unlike the Biblical story about Jonah, research revealed that there is no air or oxygen in the whale’s stomach. As a result of this fact, any human swallowed by a whale won’t survive inside the creature. The person would be digested inside the whale by the enzymes in the whale’s stomach.
In spite of its enormous size, research indicates that it acts as a gentle giant in the ocean, often seen swimming gracefully through a big body of water. Unfortunately, blue whale populations were severely depleted due to whaling in the last century, but conservation efforts have helped some populations recover.
Blue whales play a critical role in marine ecosystems and the climate. As ecosystem engineers, blue whales control the krill population, preventing imbalances in the food chain and contributing to the stability of the food web.
Another giant creature inside the ocean is the Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). It is the largest of the footed whales and can grow up to 67 feet long. Sperm whales are known for their distinctive large heads, which contain a substance called – Spermaceti. Sperm whales are deep divers capable of reaching depths of over 3,280 feet in the ocean.
Sperm whales are found in oceans worldwide and are known for their complex social structures and vocalisations. They primarily feed on squid, including elusive giant squid, which they hunt in the ocean.
Meanwhile, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the third largest ocean creature in the ocean after blue whales and sperm whales. Whale shark is as long as 40 feet in length and slow in movement. In spite of their size, whale sharks are filter feeders, they cannot bite nor chew. They only eat plankton and tiny fish, research revealed. They are found in tropical and warm – temprate seas all over the world, usually near the surface where food is plentiful.
Contrary to people’s thinking about whale shark aggressiveness, this specie in the whale’s family are gentle giant. They are not aggressive and don’t threaten humans. In fact, researchers and divers often swim right next to them, and the sharks don’t min a bit. They do have poor sight and their eyes are very small, about the size of golf balls.
Whale sharks comes in different size. The largest is the whale shark which has been known to get as large as 18 metres (60 feet). They are rarely found in water below 21 degrees. Whale shark’s lifespan is estimated to be between 80 and 130 years, based on the studies of their vertebral growth bnds nd the growth rates of free-swimming sharks.