14 Facts about marine life you won t even believe!
#14.
SEA TURTLE HOMECOMING
Sea turtles are an unusual species in the ocean.
For starters, their mating season is far from short.
They also have some of the longest pregnancies in their family.
However, the intriguing concept for them is that majority of the pregnant females usually
return to same beach used by their mothers to lay their eggs.
So wherever they were born, they go back and also have their babies.
Mama knows best, no?
Do not get it twisted.
It does not mean that every sea turtle in a region was born at the same beach.
There are some who migrate so far that they are not able to return in time to repeat this
phenomenon.
The closer they are to their initial birthplace, the more likely it is for them to follow in
the footsteps of their mothers.
#13.
DOLPHIN BRAINS STAY ALERT
Dolphins cannot go entirely into sleep at once.
One of the most exciting creatures in the ocean has another mind-blowing fact about
them.
Their brains sleep in halves.
Half of its brain remains awake when a dolphin sleeps to remind them to swim on the surface
for air.
They also do not close both eyes during sleep time.
One of the eyes keeps watch for danger and is actively connected to the active brain.
This could mean then that they alternate their brains and eyes in sleep.
So whatever sleepy eye you saw on Thursday, they have switched to sleep on Friday.
#12.
SEA TURTLE TEARS
A sea turtle s resting face looks like they are crying.
This is not because they actually are, but because their glands need to excrete in the
same area as their eyes.
The Sea turtle swallows a lot of salt, which is not surprising.
The problem is that the Sea Turtle does not have a proper metabolism to get rid of this
salt.
Their kidneys are not that functional.
Their orbital cavity, which is the same place their eyes are set, excrete the excess salt
in a liquid form.
The salt then comes down their eyes, looking like tears.
So if you ever see a sad Sea Turtle, they are only shedding salt from their system as
humans sweat.
#11.
JELLYFISH IS MORE WATER THAN FISH
Jellyfish are the most intriguing fish in the ocean.
Their mushroom shape and fringe-lower bodies make them a visual choice for the eyes.
However, did you know that the jellyfish is made up of 95% water?
That is right.
The fish part of the jelly is only 5%.
The jellyfish has a basic nervous system, a rudimentary digestive system, and no brain.
You heard right.
And we are thinking the same things.
A jellyfish is insane and does not even know it.
Besides that, they receive oxygen through their skin.
In contrast, that is not entirely difficult because their skin is practically water.
#10.
SEAHORSE STOMACH IS MISSING
The seahorse is tiny and does not have a stomach.
My initial question is, in the grand scheme of things, why do they even eat?
A seahorse's food passes through its digestive system quickly and flows out.
It is worth mentioning that they also have no teeth to chew food or even fight predators
back.
The seahorse is always eating.
For instance, if they ate this moment, the nutrients they will retain have flushed out
of their body and exited.
They have to continue to eat around the clock if they can obtain any nutrients from their
meals at all.
#9.
CLOWNFISH CAN CHANGE GENDER
Oysters and Moray eels are some of the gender-swapping marine citizens.
Yet, the grand transgender person of all is the Clownfish.
No, seriously, when a female clownfish dies in a flock of male clown fishes, the dominant
male has to change their gender to replace them.
Isn't it ironic how there is no toxic masculinity among the clown fishes?
We also have to apologize to humans who were sure we invented gender reassigning surgeries.
Dominant male clown fishes were ahead of their time.
#8.
MALE SEAHORSES BIRTHING
We have heard about male clownfish transforming into female leaders when the need arises.
Seahorses are among the only species in which the male gives birth.
In biology, the culture of males giving birth is rare, even among fishes.
The birth process is the same as when the female has babies.
The male seahorses who give birth also spend time to take care of the young.
They have to commit to staying with the offspring until there is enough time passed and the
young can take care of themselves.
They play the househusband while the females swim about being socialites.
#7.
PENGUIN LOVE LANGUAGE
Studies have shown that certain species of male penguin show affection to the penguin
of their choice by presenting the female with a pebble during mating season.
The mating season is usually a competitive time for all penguins.
So this species have to impress by other mean.
Likewise, if the female penguin in this species finds a strong male penguin they are interested
in, they might express some gestures towards the pebbles.
What happens when there is more than one pebble in a female's court?
That is a war waiting to happen and we might have to get ready to separate a fight
#6.
GREENLAND SHARKS CAN LIVE FOREVER
Firstly, we might have exaggerated the forever bit.
But usually, animals live shorter lifespans than humans, so this one is incredible.
Some Greenland Sharks have been alive for more than 400 years.
Some of the Greenland Sharks swimming in the ocean right now have radioactivity in their
growth rings caused by nuclear bombs from the cold war.
We are talking about fishes who were alive in the 17th Century.
The Greenland sharks which are swimming in the artic right now continue to live longer.
If a Greenland Shark is born today, we might be having them around in the next five generations.
I mean, think of the number of extinctions they have survived.
Much like the jellyfish who have lived longer than the time dinosaurs walked the Earth.
#5.
EMBRYONIC CANNIBALISM IN SHARKS Humans talk about sharks being the scariest
animals in the artic.
Coming from a group that kills close to 2,000 sharks each year, that statement has some
mistruth.
Nonetheless, sharks are dangerous.
When they sense danger, they go into straight attack mode and cause irreparable damage.
However, sand tiger sharks eat the other siblings in their mother's uterus in the womb.
Some Sand Tiger sharks start with 10 embryos belonging to different fathers.
The embryos will eat each other until sometimes there are only 2 remaining.
The explosive aggression starts then and doesn't end until another predator dies due to old
age.
#4.
PENGUINS FLY UNDERWATER Penguins are some of the most famous birds
underwater.
There is so much on them in pop culture.
The famous birds do not fly above the water.
They have the ridiculous walk that many people make fun of.
Yet, they use their wings in the most delightful way underwater.
Penguins can fly 25 miles per hour underwater.
The penguin spends almost 75% of their lives underwater, so flying is more valuable than
imagined.
Of course, it could be a bigger flex if they were flying on land, but that is fine.
What would have been insane is learning that their wings were never utilized.
Their expeditions are going to be more controlled and easier to navigate.
#3.
RIGHT WHALE The right whale is the most endangered whale
species off the coast of the U.S. It is also one of the most attacked globally.
The reason this whale is called the right whale is intriguing.
The name originates from the fact that the whale is the best one to hunt.
Hunters picked that specific species because they are unbelievably slow and harmless.
They also float on the surface of the water after being killed.
Honestly, doing half the work for the hunters and being an easy kill.
The Right Whale is also the friendliest whale species if you ever get the chance to come
across one.
They are lovely and kind.
#2.
SEALS ARE BLIND
Not every seal is blind, but their eyes could be there for decorations, anyway.
Seals have the most sensitive whiskers, which they use to feel the vibrations of everything
around them.
Seals hunt and feed on prey without using their eyes.
Their whiskers provide the needed vibrations to determine what fish is near them.
On the other hand, seals also feel the presence of swimming predators with the same whiskers.
They can hide and avoid trouble or prepare to fight off competition once they sense the
predator coming close to them.
Imagine what they would do without their whiskers.
Their mostly comparable companion, the sea lion, has it more complicated than they do.
#1.
FISH AGE If you want to know how old a fish is, how
do you go about it.
We might have given you a hint when we discussed the Greenland sharks.
The growth rings determine the age of a fish on its ears and scalers.
It would be impossible not to have any growth rings.
Usually, a single ring represents a year.
There are fishes that have lived for centuries and then there are those with a lifespan of
only a few months due to how much humans love them.
Can you guess the lifespan of your favorite herring or mackerel?
You can share your answers with us when you do
Which fact did you find most surprising?