Explore the wonders of the ocean in a gif-ferent way, as we tumble through the beauty and science of the sea. Our mission is to inspire conservation of the ocean.
The perfectly proud brown pelican patiently pilots the sky, perusing the Pacific waters for possible prey. Pow! It plunges purposefully, precisely positioned to pilfer a pescado or two. Perchance, this plucky predator filled its prodigious pouch with prey. Post-meal, the pleased pelican perches on a piling, permitting the sun to penetrate its plumage.
Fun fact: Hammerhead sharks are exceptional at playing hide-and-sea-k. 🙈🏃
A hammerhead’s eyes are located at the extreme ends of its very wide head — giving it a fintastic field of vision. They can see above, below, and even behind them! 👀
If that wasn’t enough of an advantage, they also have special electroreceptors (called ampullae of Lorenzini) that can sense weak electrical fields created by the muscular movements of prey — even one as invisible as the beating heart of an animal hidden in the sand.
Next time you’re playing a game of hide and seek, manifest your inner hammerhead shark to win!
Sneaking out of the office early on a Friday like…
Deep-sea giant isopods use their 14 legs to tiptoe along the seafloor. When the need to move a little more quickly arises, they fan out their uropod and pleopods (their tail and swimming limbs) and paddle away. Either way, they’re getting a jumpstart on the weekend.
Here’s a little sea-cret about the spotted cusk eel. This fish isn’t actually an eel!! But true eels and cusk eels do have some things in common–most noticeably their long tails. Well, maybe it’s not that noticeable since cusk eels hide most of their bodies in the sand—giving the appearance of disembodied fish heads 😅😬🐟
These sneaky fishies are often found on the sandy seafloor and in eelgrass habitats. We shore hope this quick fact keeps you eeling good as you head into your week.
Glass squids live in the boundless waters of the twilight zone. With no protective shell and nowhere to hide, they have to get creative.
Glass squids use an invisibility cloak to stay safe in these dark waters. Like other cephalopods, they are covered in tiny pigment sacs called chromatophores. When their chromatophores are closed, their skin is basically see-through.
When their cover is blown, they expand their chromatophores to darken their appearance. Or they might simply ink and jet away!
Glass squids also have special light organs that mask the shadow of their more opaque body parts. This helps them maintain their cloak of invisibility and hide from both predators and prey.
But the future of all midwater animals is in jeopardy. The deep seafloor contains many precious minerals critical to modern technologies—like the batteries in your phone. Mining these metals will release plumes of wastewater that will cloud the ocean’s twilight zone.
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