From hanging out with divers to swimming along ships, here are 10 of the friendliest sea
creatures there are!
10.
Sea Lions
Sea Lions have long been associated with friendly interactions with humans, so much so that
they form a large part of Peruvian culture- having been worshipped by the people there
and depicted in numerous artworks.
They are highly intelligent animals, which means they can learn tricks to entertain crowds,
and are quite curious so they will often swim up alongside humans and play with them in
the water.
They are also used by the US military to assist SCUBA diving teams look for underwater mines
and, in some instances, detain divers who have accessed restricted areas until authorities
can arrive.
Sea lions and dolphins are used as combat marine units and sea lions especially, have
excellent eyesight.
Sea lions are hardy, smart, and trainable and they have the added advantage that they
are amphibious and can easily hand things to their handlers.
This all makes Sea Lions sound like gentle creatures, but it’s important to know that
sea lions have another side to them.
If they aren’t treated well or respectfully, they can become quite aggressive.
This can also happen with male Sea Lions because they are very territorial during mating season.
If it looks like you’re bothering one then stay away but, if not, they are one of the
friendliest sea creatures you’ll ever meet.
9.
Beluga Whale
Beluga Whales are native to the Arctic and sub-arctic, and are uniquely adapted to the
cold waters.
They are white in color, don’t have a dorsal fin, and have an enlarged head, which contains
an organ called a melon that is used for echolocation.
Beluga’s were actually the first type of whale to be kept in captivity, with the first
being shown at Barnum’s museum in New York in 1861.
To this day they are still the most commonly seen animal in marine parks across North America,
Europe and Asia- mainly because they are much smaller than other species of whale and easier
to contain.
They are also a hit with visitors because of their unusual colour and wide range of
facial expressions.
They are really curious about the people who visit them, and often perform in shows with
trainers who they develop deep bonds with.
Since 1992 it has been forbidden to capture Belugas in Canada because of concerns for
the population numbers in the wild, so now most of them come from Russia.
They are so popular that each one can cost as much as 100,000 dollars.
Whale watching tours are a great way to see them in their natural habitat, but it’s
important for the boat not to get too close to them because of the way it can interrupt
their daily activities.
Quite often they enjoy interacting with the boats so much that they get distracted from
things like feeding, social interaction with their own species, and breeding.
They get so caught up in the moment, they forget what they’re supposed to be doing!!
8.
Whale Shark
You might not think a shark with a five-foot-wide mouth and more than 3,000 teeth would be the
friendliest of creatures, but whale sharks are the most gentle of all shark species.
They pose no threat to humans at all, and are usually pretty welcoming to those who
want to swim alongside them.
Despite their huge mouth, their throats are only the width of a US quarter, and they only
eat tiny micro-organisms.
Their average speed through the water is about 3 miles per hour, so they are easy to keep
up with, and in a lot of tourist areas they are used to the presence of humans in the
water, and don’t really seem to be bothered.
Cancun is one of the best places to swim with these giants of the ocean, where you’ll
really feel small next to a 65-foot-long and 12 ton fish.
There really is nothing quite like being surrounded by a few of them, and the experience draws
tourists from all over the world.
If you visit “Las Afueras” you’ll even have a chance to be amongst a feeding frenzy
of hundreds of them, which is a spectacular feat of nature.
7.
Manatees
Manatees, or sea cows, are also known as gentle giants, and it’s clear to see why.
They are fully aquatic and feed mainly on plant life that they sift from the water.
They can grow to up to 13-feet-long, weigh about 1,300 pounds, and push their way through
the water with their paddle like limbs.
These slow moving, calm creatures, also have an insatiable curiosity of humans, and seek
out human activity for sources of warmth.
Underwater discharge pipes are, as a result, a popular spot for them to congregate because
they are a good source of heat in the cool waters where they live.
When they see divers in the water, their curiosity gets the better of them and they simply have
to go up and swim with you, or at least see what you are doing!
The Crystal River in Florida is one of the places where you can get in the water with
a manatee, and it’s become a big tourist attraction for people who want a chance to
get up close with these loving creatures.
They are so friendly to humans that the number of visitors is now concerning locals who feel
that the habitats are being threatened.
In 2013, for example, 16% of Florida’s manatee population died off because of a red tide
algae bloom, so it’s important that the perfect balance be found to allow humans and
manatees to coexist.
6.
Dolphins
As one of the most intelligent animals on the planet, it’s no surprise that Dolphins
and Humans can develop close bonds.
Whether it be helping people catch fish in Brazil, rescuing stranded swimmers, or gliding
alongside boats and playing in the wake- they find us as interesting as we find them.
They have also been seen to cautiously approach pregnant women, because they can hear two
heartbeats and, in captivity, they are very effective in therapeutic treatments because
of their friendliness and closeness.
This isn’t just a recent thing, either.
Frescoes of Dolphins in the ancient city of Knossos in Crete show that this affinity between
our two species has been going on for thousands of years.
A study that was conducted at the University of Kyoto looked at why dolphins, in particular,
are great companions to humans.
They found that they see the world in a similar way to us, and even go about solving problems
in a similar way.
Their echolocation is key as this is what tells them where we are and that we are living
beings.
Some species are noted in scientific literature as going out of their way to seek social encounters
with humans because they are naturally inquisitive by nature.
It doesn’t mean that they are always going to be cute and cuddly, but compared to other
creatures, the dolphin can be considered quite friendly.
5.
Pacific Gray Whale
Pacific Gray Whales are some of the most awe-inspiring creatures you will ever see and, it turns
out, they are incredibly friendly towards humans.
Their migration is the longest of any mammal on earth- over 10,000 miles- and during this
time as many as 20,000 of them can be seen swimming together.
It’s one of the most stunning sight in nature, but despite their huge size, they are gentle
aquatic giants.
Very little is known about these majestic beasts, especially when it comes to how they
communicate.
It’s possible to get up close to them yourself in places like Baja in Mexico.
There, they are known for swimming to passing boats and putting on a show for people.
Sometimes you might even see a mother and her calf up close- showing no fear of proximity
to humans.
Over the course of history this has often been to their detriment as humans have hunted
the gray whales for hundreds of years.
The fact that they are so friendly would have made them an easy target.
Now the gray whale is protected by the International Whaling Commission.
4.
Manta Rays
Manta Rays are graceful creatures that glide through the ocean, and can be very inquisitive
and friendly towards humans.
Some people even call them they puppy dogs of the sea!
The first thing to know is that Manta Rays do not have stingers like Sting Rays do, so
they pose no threat to humans at all.
The danger is actually the other way around because they have protective membranes that
can fall off if touched, so if you do ever swim alongside one it’s important not to
hold onto it.
Studies have shown that mantas may actually be self aware and recognize themselves in
a mirror.
They have the biggest brain of any fish and capable of learning and problem solving.
They were once thought to be very dangerous, but the increased popularity of diving around
reefs has brought more people in proximity with them.
They are often hunted for their cartilage which is used in Chinese medicine and females
will only have a new pup every few years so they are critically endangered in many places.
Often you will hear stories of Manta Rays swimming circles around divers, giving the
sense that they are the ones being watched rather than the other way around!
It’s a very peaceful experience if you’re ever lucky enough to swim with them in the
wild- something that you can do if you go to protected marine sanctuaries in Hawaii,
Fiji, Thailand, or Australia.
3.
Hammerhead Sharks
The last type of animal you might expect to see on this list is a shark, but some species
are actually quite friendly towards humans.
Even though the feeling is rarely mutual.
Hammerheads are very rarely aggressive, and quite enjoy investigating divers in the water.
They are possibly the most unusually shaped sharks ever, the shape of their head is thought
to be a way to increase their sensory perception while hunting for prey.
Luckily, they don’t consider humans to be food, though, and much prefer a diet of fish,
squid, octopus, and stingrays.
In Hawaii, sharks are considered to be gods of the sea, and Hammerheads are not considered
to be man eaters.
They are one of the most respected creatures of the ocean, known as an aumakua, and play
an important part in local culture- with many believing that they protect them from the
dangerous shark species.
Sadly, due to overfishing for their fins to make soup, Hammerheads are now an endangered
species, and the fishing of them worldwide is heavily regulated.
2.
Sea Turtles
Sea Turtles are some of Earth’s oldest creatures and have been around for more than 150 million
years.
There are seven species that live in the sea and now three species are considered to be
critically endangered.
Human activity has a major impact on the habitats of sea turtles- whether it be pollution, fishing,
artificial lights, or the way we build on the coast- but despite this, if you are ever
to encounter a sea turtle in the wild, you’re in for a magical experience.
There are many YouTube videos of divers gaining a sea turtle’s trust and interacting with
them in the wild.
The largest species, the leatherback can grow up to 6.5 feet long, so they are often much
larger than humans when in the water, and they eat a diet of plants and small marine
life.
They don’t see humans as a threat as long as you don’t start chasing them around.
In most cases they won’t even acknowledge our presence because we’re of no concern
to them.
If you’re lucky, they will take interest in you though, and will swim up against you
or let you swim alongside them, or very rarely scratch their neck.
1.
Porpoise
Porpoises are small-toothed whales that are closely related to dolphins, and they share
large similarities in behavior and temperament.
They tend to be a little smaller and the 6 different species live in waters all over
the world, and some can survive in both fresh and saltwater.
Unlike dolphins, though, porpoises do not do very well in captivity and struggle to
survive without the freedom of the ocean.
They love to approach boats and surfers, and there have been a number of reports of porpoises
actually saving people.
In 2010, Dick Van Dyke, from Mary Poppins, was surfing when he apparently fell asleep.
Rather than drifting further out and being lost at sea, he was supposedly rescued by
a family of porpoises who nudged him back towards the shore.
He said he woke up out of sight of land, and surrounded by fins.
Initially fearing for the worst, he soon realized that they were there to help him, and pushed
him all the way back to land.
There are many stories like these that show that porpoises have a greater understanding
of their surroundings than we may think, and a great deal of compassion for other species.
Too bad we as humans can’t say the same.
Thanks for watching!
Let us know about your experience with friendly sea creatures in the comments below!!
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