Who Knew a Decomposing Whale Could be so Beautiful? [Video]

By Andrew Liszewski Oct 15, 2011 4:00 PM 20,020 23

Whales can live for 50 to 75 years. But did you know that after they die, their decomposing bodies can support a whole community of organisms and other sea life for an additional 50 to 75 years?

Whale Fall is a short documentary on what happens to the largest mammal on the planet after it dies and sinks to Davy Jones' locker. Created by Sweet Fern Productions for Radiolab, it's not only fascinating on an educational level, but it's also a feast for the eyes through the use of animation, paper cutouts and puppetry. I loved science growing up, but had the educational videos in biology class looked like this, I may have actually paid attention. [Whale Fall via Radiolab via BoingBoing]

Related Stories

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Wayward New Zealand Penguin Might've Been Chomped by a Killer Whale [Penguins]

Of course the little infidel is lost again. Just a week after being shoved out a boat and forced to swim all the way back to Antartica, Happy Feet the penguin's gone off the reservation, and his satellite tracker's dead.

The transmitter stopped sending signals on Friday, and there are only really two possibilities here: Either the device fell off or the little Lilliputian interloper found his way into the belly of a sea predator.

While experts think it's unlikely that he'd run into an orca or a leopard seal, they'd also be surprised if the device fell off since it was attached to his feathers with... wait, super glue? Apparently it's commonly used in tracking penguins, and it shouldn't have fallen off until he molted in a few months, but it's been known to happen.

Look, I'm with you: I love when adorable, globally-beloved animals get eaten by large creatures of the sea. But super glue won't even keep my bedroom shelves together, and they wanted it to hold this transmitter in place on a swim to Antartica? Nothing to see here, folks; the little jerk's probably sipping frozen herring cocktails in the Bahamas by now. [Stuff via Daily What]

Related Stories

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.