From large poisonous snakes to killers who like to play with their food, here are 10
of the deadliest aquatic predators.
10.
Blue Marlin
The blue marlin is the largest of the marlin species, and one of the largest types of fish
in the world.
The females greatly outsize the males, and can grow to up to 14 feet long (4.3 m), and
weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kg).
Despite this enormous size, they can swim through the water at speeds of around 50 miles
per hour (80.5) which, combined with their sharp spear, can make them incredibly dangerous!
They hunt by swimming into shoals of fish and impaling their prey, They would be deadly
to a human if they managed to strike with full force.
They are also renowned as one of the toughest sporting fish to catch, and are considered
by many to be the holy grail of deep sea fishing because of the tremendous fight they put up
after being hooked.
Marlins are stunning creatures, with cobalt-blue and silvery colours- which can change under
certain conditions.
They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, and can migrate across hundreds
of thousands of miles in one season.
They are rare, but not quite at the stage of being endangered- mainly because of overfishing.
Their meat is seen as a delicacy in Japan and is often served as Sashimi.
So while they are extremely skilled marine predators that should be admired, the deadliest
predator is always a human.
9.
Electric Eel
They may be named after one, and even look like one, but electric eels aren’t actually
eels, they’re a type of fish known as a knife-fish.
They are found in the waters and mud of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in south America,
and are extremely dangerous for any human who comes into contact with them.
It’s all down to their unique physiology.
They have three abdominal organs that make up the majority of their body, called the
main organ, the Hunter’s organ, and the Sachs organ.
These are able to produce electric charges that can be released as either a low or high
voltage.
The organs work very similar to a battery by creating an electric potential difference
that can then be released when the fish detects prey.
The shock it produces can be extreme, up to 860 volts for a fraction of a second.
This is more than enough to incapacitate or kill its prey, and it will even deliver a
nasty shock to an adult human.
On their own they are unlikely to be able to kill someone, though, but it’s when they’re
in groups that they become deadly.
Often, as the waters dry up, large groups will be stranded in small bodies of water.
If they all release their charge at the same time, you wouldn’t stand a chance.
Just imagine a little fishy.
8.
Stingray
Stingrays are a type of ray that can grow to enormous sizes, and have a barbed stinger
on their tail that can be used as an incredibly deadly weapon.
Like their close relative the shark, stingrays have skeletons made of cartilage and electrical
senses around its mouth that help it detect its prey.
They spend most of their lives hidden beneath the sand, with only their eyes protruding
out, and wait for just the right moment to strike their prey.
They mostly feed on molluscs and small fish.
They don’t actually use their spine to hunt- they are there as a defensive weapon.
The spear stiffens when the stingray feels threatened.
It is very unlikely for a stingray to attack a human.
They will attack if they feel provoked, and this is when they can become extremely dangerous.
Contact with the stinger of a ray can cause swelling and pain because of the venom, and
potential infection if not treated immediately.
Of course, if you’re unlucky with where the stinger pierces your body, the consequences
could be fatal.
It doesn’t happen too often, but when it does the barb usually breaks off- further
complicating attempt to treat the wound.
In 2006, famed naturalist, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray as a
result of its stinger passing through his heart causing severe trauma.
It was a very tragic accident.
In December 2017, 73 people were stung by stingrays on Huntington Beach, California.
7.
Polar Bears
Polar bears are closely related to brown bears, but have evolved to grow much larger.
They are classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their lives in the water
or on ice flows, and can grow to weigh about 1,500 pounds.
They are the most carnivorous of any bear species, and scour the Arctic looking for
their next meal of seals.
Their favourite means of hunting seals is to track down a breathing hole and wait.
When the seal surfaces for air, the bear catches it and drags it out onto the ice.
Polar bears are unquestionably the alpha predator across the arctic tundra, and their ability
to hunt on both land and in the water makes them incredibly efficient.
They have no natural predators, but due to the receding ice shelves they are now an endangered
species.
This has also led to increased attacks on humans, as they are forced to move closer
to towns in search of food.
They don’t hunt or attack humans as a matter of course, but if they feel threatened- particularly
if there are cubs nearby- they won’t think twice about killing and eating a person, like
all animals.
If they do decide to do this, there’s very little hope for evading their attack.
6.
Beaked Sea Snake
If you thought snakes that lived on land were bad enough, then you’d better stay well
clear of this next marine predator.
The beaked sea snake, also known as the hook-nosed sea snake, is one of the most highly venomous
snake species in the world.
It’s found in the waters around Madagascar, South Asia, and Australia- and their venom
is up to 8 times as toxic as cobra venom.
This species is thought to be responsible for more than half of reported sea snake bites
on humans, and as much as 90 per cent of the fatalities caused by sea snakes.
They grow to about 5 feet long, and can dive as deep as 330 feet without needing to resurface
for 5 hours.
Just 1.5 milligrams of its venom is enough to kill an adult, so it’s a good thing that
attacks on humans are rare, and they often dry bite as a warning first, which means they
don’t release venom in defensive bites.
For the smaller creatures that are less fortunate, the beaked sea snake will bite them to inject
their venom, wait for them to stop wriggling, and then swim around to eat them head first.
5.
Crocodile
Found across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia- crocodiles are large reptiles whose
ancestors have been dated back to more than 200 million years ago.
There are 14 known species, each which have their own unique attributes…
Such as the heavily armoured dwarf crocodile, and the extremely aggressive Cuban crocodile.
They are the largest reptiles on earth, with some species growing up to 20 feet long, and
weighing 2,200 pounds.
They spend most of their time in the water, and are nocturnal.
They will eat just about anything.
Their long snouts with rows of teeth make them ideal for hunting, They stay motionless
in the water near the bank, where animals go to drink, and then snap into action by
grabbing unsuspecting animals, dragging them into the water, and then spinning them around
in the water to tear the flesh off.
Attacks on humans are unlikely, but they do happen- and don’t end well for anyone unlucky
enough to be caught.
The saltwater crocodile and the Nile crocodile are by far the most dangerous in this respect,
and are responsible for hundreds of human fatalities every year across Asia and Africa.
And now for a predator that likes to play games, but first, remember to subscribe before
you leave!
4.
Leopard Seals
Leopard seals are found in the cold waters of the Antarctic, and are the second most
dangerous predator that lives there, so stay tuned for number 2 to hear about that one!.
They are the third largest seal species, but don’t let that fool you because even though
they aren’t number one in this aspect, they are the number one in aggressiveness.
. They grow up to 12 feet long, can weigh up to 1,400 pounds, and have 1 inch long canine
teeth.
Their main source of nutrition comes from smaller seals, krill, penguins, fish, and
sea birds.
They spend large amounts of time in isolation, swimming beneath the ice, because they do
not play well with others, even members of their own species.
When it’s time to hunt, they stay by the edge of the ice- waiting for something to
dip into the water.
Once they have caught their prey, they smash it violently against the water’s surface
to both kill it, and tear the flesh apart.
They like to play with their food and will play Cat and Mouse with penguins or baby seals,
biting them and letting swim away to try to swim to the shore and then they will cut them
off over and over again.
The little animal will either make it to shore or die of exhaustion and the seal might not
even eat it after.
No one knows why they do this, probably for sport.
Leopard seals can be extremely dangerous towards humans but, because of their habitat, they
rarely come into contact with them.
There have been a number of reports of them attacking boats, and in 2003 a biologist who
was exploring the region was dragged to her death more than 200 feet underwater by a leopard
seal.
Even though they are known to smile, you should keep your distance.
3.
Great White Shark
You already know great whites have a bad reputation, but there’s no doubt that the great white
shark is the deadliest marine predator that spends its life beneath the waves.
They grow up to 20 feet long, and weigh in at around 4,000 pounds.
Their range is impressive.
They are found all over the world and are found from shallow water to depths of up to
3,900 feet.
It’s their speed and design that makes them so deadly and efficient.
They are able to pass through the water at 35 miles per hour, and are equipped with multiple
rows of serrated teeth.
They have no known predators, apart from humans, and feed on other animals like fish, dolphin,
seals, turtles, and birds, even carrion.
They are, quite simply, killing machines and, while not the largest of shark species, by
far the most dangerous.
Human attacks do happen, but great white sharks don’t see us as prey.
It is thought to happen because they have detected movement in water where their senses
are limited, and since they don’t like the taste of humans they usually move on in search
of something less bony.
Despite the low fatality rate associated with great whites, they are responsible for the
largest proportion of human attacks by any shark species, so must be treated with great
caution.
2.
Killer Whale
And now the most dangerous predator of the Antarctic, the killer whale!
Killer whales are the largest of the dolphin species, and one of the most dominant marine
predators.
They are found in all oceans, but seem to prefer cooler waters.
They are thought to live for up to 80 years in the wild, anc can grow to be up to 32 feet
long and weigh up to 6 tons.
They are social animals that are extremely intelligent.
Killer whales (or orcas) can be found in pods of up to 40 individuals, that hunt together.
With a diet consisting of mainly seals, sea lions, and whales- their teeth can be four
inches long.
They are perfectly designed for hunting other animals, and can easily coordinate and outsmart
their prey.
Killer whales will also play cat and mouse with their food, but can follow seals onto
land and will actually end up eating it at the end.
Escape is practically futile.
Despite their predatory prowess, there have been very few attacks on humans in the wild
and there have been no fatalities.
The same cannot be said for orcas in captivity which goes to show you that they are not meant
to be kept in small spaces.
It is not necessarily malicious but they can get frustrated and lash out.
1.
Megalodon
This is hands down the deadliest marine predator that has ever lived.
As far as we know, this species is no longer around, with the most recent evidence of their
presence coming from 2.6 million years ago.
(But some people still argue that they could be lurking in the depths).
While not thought to be related to the great white shark, their appearance was similar.
The Megalodon was, essentially, a bulked up version of the great white that grew to almost
three times the size- with some fossils being 60 feet long.
This makes it the largest fish that is ever known to have lived.
The megalodon had such strong jaws that it could crush bone and shell, meaning that any
prey it caught didn’t stand a chance.
Its diet was thought to be mainly larger marine creatures like whales, and other sharks- but
also giant turtles and ancient seals.
Needless to say, the world would be very different today if these monsters were still patrolling
the oceans.
Humans would be on the menu, and so would every other top predator that currently rules
the waves.
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