On the eve of World Animal Day (4 October), the HIDRoad Wildlife Fan Team gathered together Lifehacks on how and where to admire the largest underwater predators in their natural habitat. And it will be absolutely safe for both humans and animals. And no trips to oceanariums!
Cachalot
Cachalot is the biggest predator on the planet. It was Melville who wrote about him in "Moby Dick". Indeed, older sperm whales, like humans, can have pigmented white spots in their old age. The "old" giant male may seem white - Melville was not lying.
The sperm whale is absolutely safe for a person in the water, let alone in a boat. He eats mostly giant squids - he is not interested in people. This predator has a certain "bad" reputation due to the fact that sperm whales, as a rule, are kept in groups and they have a strong emotional attachment. If one of the members of the group is injured or in danger, everyone else will protect him or her. That's why during the whaling season (whales are among the most valuable whales because of the large amount of spermaceti) there were cases when whales attacked boats. While under attack, the entire flock surrounds the defender, forming a daisy formation (daisy formation).
But the sperm whales are surprisingly clever animals. Recently there was a case when a sperm whale got stuck in the tongue with a fishing hook - and then he came to the freediver and opened his mouth.
Meeting a sperm whale in the open ocean will not harm either the animal or man. But one of the brightest impressions in life will bring. Swimming in open water next to a 20-meter-long sea giant is something. But the most memorable feeling is the sonar of a sperm whale. Sperm whales eat deep-sea squids at a depth of about 1 km. There is no light there, so sperm whales have natural sonar.
So, if the diver is interested in the animal, and the sperm whale wants to see the person better, then turns his face to him (as his sonar is very focused) and starts to click, that is, to make such a peculiar sound. The more interesting the sperm whale is, the more often it clicks. These clicks are very strong - you don't just hear them, you feel them all over your skin and even body.
Where to go?
Sperm whales are found all over the world. The difficulty is that:
- They spend most of their lives underwater;
- They live only in the deepest depths where squids live.
So there is little chance of meeting sperm whales off the coast. Only on islands of volcanic origin or near tectonic faults. For example, in Azores and Sri Lanka.
Sperm whales sometimes sleep like floats (unlike other whales). At such moments you can swim very close to them and hang near them. Here you can find a photo of this cute scene.
Orca
The orca is a super predator, the most perfect and intellectual in the ocean. "A killer whale, although the name actually comes from a whale killer. Orcas have the most complex social structure within the family, and also the most complex and sophisticated ways of hunting.
Orcas transmit knowledge about life from parents to children. Although, in fact, everyone is taught by grandmothers: they can no longer give birth and are not so cheerful for hunting, so they are engaged in the upbringing of grandchildren.
Many consider sharks the main predators of the ocean, but in fact the main here orcas. They can easily kill even large white sharks. The latter do not have gill lids (this is what fish do to filter the water), so auls must constantly swim. And if you turn a shark upside down, it's a stupor. Orcas know about this, so grab a shark, turn his head down and stand still until the shark suffocates. No wonder that sharks are afraid of orcas. San Francisco has an island where seals live. Both white sharks and orcas come there for "lunch". So, as soon as orcas come, sharks get out of there quickly.
It is absolutely safe for a person to be near the killer whale if it is wild nature, not a dolphinarium. There are no cases of orcas attacking humans in the wild. Each orca family has its own diet: some eat fish, some seals, some whales. They do not consider anything else as food. In dolphinariums, animals often go mad ("mad" because of how people treat them), so there have been cases of attacks.
Where to go?
Orcas occur everywhere, but it is difficult to find them: the fact that orcas are all afraid, and so they behave very quietly. Norway is the best place to observe these predators - they have fish-eating killer whales and good water transparency. And there are migrating carnivorous killer whales in Kamchatka and the Shantar Islands.
Big white shark
Ancient super predator. Probably the big white one scares people the most because of the movie "Jaws", after which these predators began a real hunting trip. By the way, Stephen Spielberg once said that he is very sorry that he made this movie.
It's dangerous to swim with big white sharks. Although they rarely attack people, if that happens, the consequences for the person are serious. This predator is very effective - the perfect killing machine.
In principle, a man is not interesting to a shark, because it is skinny and not nutritious. As a rule, attacks occur in two cases. First, one of the strategies for attacking a white shark is to sit in the depths and watch the shadow of a cat on the surface. Surfboard reminds you of the shadow of a cat. The shark flies out, it's enough. When he realizes that this is not a kitty, he spits out and leaves, but the surfer can be left without a leg or head. Second, if there is blood, the sharks get excited. And obeying instincts (as it is an ancient predator, then, unlike orcas, they are dominated by instincts) white shark suffices everything that moves.
And yet it is possible to swim with a large white shark in the open ocean - in a cage. It's just a human being, not a predator (ironic, isn't it?). This kind of entertainment is called diving with a shark and is very popular among fans of tickling their nerves and just wanting to face one of the most dangerous predators on the planet. Despite the loud name, you don't need to be a diver for such a swim - neither a certificate, nor equipment, nor special skills are required. Sharks swim on the surface, attracted by the blood (it is poured into the water in advance) and hanging nearby fish. All a person needs to do is sink into the cage that is attached to the boat and look at the sharks through the mask. It's absolutely safe, but the adrenaline is released by the sea.
Where to go?
In South Africa, near Cape Town, there is Gansbai Bay.
Blue whale
The blue whale is the largest animal on earth - 35 meters and more than 160 tons. Such a living submarine. Blue whales are usually very economical because with this size each movement spends a huge amount of energy. So don't think that whales will play with you or pay attention to people in the water at all. The whale will just keep on sailing along its route.
Despite its size, the encounter with the blue whale is completely safe for a person. He just doesn't pay attention to such trifles as people. They don't even open their mouths if the krill pack they meet isn't big enough (more energy will be used to swallow it than it will be from food).
And in general, seeing a whale underwater is a difficult task: it moves fast enough. As a rule, the whale takes a few breaths and then dives for 5-10 minutes. That is, the task of the observer for these several breaths is to come close enough to the whale, jump into the water and swim towards it quickly (we remember about responsible whale watching - it is impossible to swim close to the whale). So we have to row fins. It turns out such a race - not every attempt is successful. But if you've done everything right and you're lucky, you'll find yourself in a situation where you can't see the whale. And in the end, a giant tail will fly in front of you. Awesome!
Where to go?
Whales have suffered greatly from whalers. Now there are only a few thousand blue whales left in the ocean - most often you can see them in Azores or Sri Lanka (there live resident dwarf blue whales, they are slightly less - 25-27 meters).