Mysteries of the Deep

Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn. - T. H. White

No matter what else, we can be daily grateful we have been put in touch with knowledge, for its source is inexhaustible. – Unknown

There is so much going on in the deep sea that we are unaware of. Here are some trivia, fun facts on the creatures of the sea, courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Colours of Nature’, ‘Ancestral Stories’, ‘Weird Facts’, ‘Unbelievable Facts’, ‘Today I Learned’, ‘Science and Facts’, ‘Crazy Creatures’, ‘The Knowledge Factory’, ‘The study Secrets’ etc… However, I do not know if they are true. Some of them sound really incredible.

Mothers inject milk through mammary slits using muscle pressure, sending it straight to the calf without mixing with seawater. That efficiency fuels rapid blubber growth, turning constant dives into a nonstop race for survival. – A Facebook post by ‘Strangest Facts’

This sideways neck fold is part of a pleurodiran design found only in certain southern hemisphere turtles. It allows a fast, close range strike without fully exposing the head. When threatened, it can release a strong musky odor and even travel over land between ponds, proving survival favors clever mechanics over brute force. – A Facebook post by 'Strangest Facts'

Sirenians, also called sea cows, are soft-bodied animals that live in warm coastal waters. Unlike many mammals, they have fine, whisker-like hairs called vibrissae all over their bodies, not just on their noses. These tiny bristles look a bit like whiskers and cover their face, lips, flippers, and sometimes their whole head and body.

These whiskers are very sensitive and help sirenians learn about their surroundings. They can feel tiny changes in the water, detect the movement of plants, and find food on the sea floor. Because the whiskers send touch signals to the brain, sea cows can tell the shape and texture of things they cannot see clearly. This sense of touch works together with their other senses to guide them as they feed.

In murky or dark water where sight is limited, these body-wide whiskers are especially important. They let the animals sense nearby fish, plants, or obstacles without needing to see them. This makes sirenians some of the most touch-sensitive mammals on Earth, helping them survive and find food in places where vision alone would not be enough. – A Facebook post by ‘Colours of Nature’

A wide, calm patch of ocean holds a gentle surprise: over a hundred sea otters, all together, floating like a slow, soft island. They lie on their backs, eyes half closed, their fur gleaming in the light. The water rocks them quietly, and the group drifts as one, a moving patch of life on the blue sea.

Many of the otters reach out and hold hands or lace paws with their neighbors. They do this to stay close so they do not drift apart in the waves. Some curl up in small clusters, others rest with their heads tucked, but all seem to trust the group. The sight is both playful and calm, like adults and children sharing a peaceful nap outdoors.

Watching them feels like seeing a small miracle of nature. The raft shows how animals look out for one another without words. It makes you think of warmth, safety, and the simple comfort of being close to others. For a moment, the busy world fades, and the ocean holds this gentle community moving slowly together. – A Facebook post by ‘Colours of Nature’

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