Video Discription |
10 BIGGEST Ocean Creatures In The World!
If you're new, Subscribe! → http://goo.gl/djmfuX
Top 5 Best is the #1 place for all your heart warming stories about amazing people that will inspire you everyday. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a single video!
#viralstory #amazingpeople #top5best
10 BIGGEST Ocean Creatures In The World!
Have you ever wondered why most of the biggest animals on earth can be found in the ocean? The
phenomenon is called ocean gigantism and it’s quite the fascinating subject so I suggest look it up.
Anyway, we aren’t here to talk about that, we’re going to talk about the 10 biggest ocean creatures in
the world. Number 1 is a no brainer, unless we find something even bigger. Stay tuned for what it is!
Number 10. The Giant Oarfish
Definitely not the largest ocean creature on our list, but it’s definitely one of the longest. In fact, it’s the
longest specie of bony fish in the world, reaching a length of 56 feet and can weigh up to 600 pounds.
They were first described in 1772, but it has been rarely seen because it lives at considerable depths. It
is not well known, but giant oarfish are thought to frequent depths around 3,300 feet.
The silvery fish are sometimes called the “king of herrings” because of their superficial resemblance to
the smaller fish, but they are named oarfish because of their long pectoral fins, which resemble oars.
Not a lot is known about the conservation status of giant oarfish because they have rarely been
observed alive, although fishermen do occasionally pull them up in nets as unwanted bycatch.
Of course, if it’s caught, there’s always someone out there who will ask what does fried oarfish taste
like. It’s size and weight could potentially feed a lot of mouths, but it looks like they aren’t edible at all,
with their flesh being described as flabby and gooey. Really not my idea of a good meal but if you’re into
eating slime, then by all means have a go.
Number 9. The Great White Shark
Great whites are the largest predatory fish on Earth. They grow to an average of 15 feet in length,
though specimens exceeding 20 feet and weighing up to 5,000 pounds have been recorded.
They have slate-gray upper bodies to blend in with the rocky coastal sea floor, but get their name from
their universally white underbellies. They are streamlined, torpedo-shaped swimmers with powerful
tails that can propel them through the water at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. They can even leave
the water completely, breaching like whales when attacking prey from underneath.
Not only big, but pretty ferocious as well. Of the 100-plus annual shark attacks worldwide, fully one-
third to one-half are attributable to great whites. However, most of these are not fatal, and new
research finds that great whites, who are naturally curious, are "sample biting" then releasing their
victims rather than preying on humans. It's not a terribly comforting distinction, but it does indicate that
humans are not actually on the great white's menu.
Number 8. The Killer Whale
Reaching around 34 feet in length and weighing around 6 tons, Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of
the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They're immediately recognizable by their
distinctive black-and-white coloring. Smart and social, orcas make a wide variety of communicative
sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use
echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter
objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape.
They're at the top of the food chain and have very diverse diets, feasting on fish, penguins, and marine
mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches long. They
are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.
One is scary enough, but orcas always hunt in packs, rather like wolves, of up to 40 individuals.
Number 7. The Giant Manta Ray
Giant Manta rays are definitely one of the most unmistakable creatures in the ocean with their flat,
diamond shaped bodies, their wing-like pectoral fins, and the two horn shaped fins on their heads,
which gives them their nickname of Devil Fish.
For many years, scientists thought that there’s only one species of manta ray. It turns out that there are
two distinct species; the smaller reef manta which can have a wingspan of 11 feet, not nearly as
impressive as the giant manta ray, which boasts of a wingspan of up to 29 feet.
And although they look like they could swallow a person whole, both species are filter feeders. They
swim with their mouths wide open, drawing in zooplankton and krill, which they sift through rows of
tiny rakes that line their mouths called gill plates. |