#gray's beaked whale

[smellpelt]

[antiqueanimals]

Walt Disney's White Wilderness: Animals of the Arctic. By Robert Louvain and the Staff of the Walt Disney Studio. 1958.

Internet Archive

[perpetualspinach]

My etsy shop is open again!

[ID: four photos of handmade linoprint bookmarks in two designs: sturgeon and grays beaked whale skulls. they are printed in black ink, and have text from hamlet on the back. one photo shows one of the bookmarks in an old book. end ID]

I added these bookmarks, and plan on adding more patches too. I also have cards, linoprints, stickers, and space dog patches 🚀🐶

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: Cuvier's beaked whale

Today's Wet Beast Wednesday post is going to be a deeper dive than usual, because this week's post is about the deepest-diving whale. Beaked whales are an elusive and poorly-understood family known for diving to extreme depths. Of the 24 known species, Cuvier's beaked whale is the most well-known. Dive in (get it?) to learn about this cryptic cetacean.

(Image: a Cuvier's beaked whale underwater. It is a small whale similar in appearance to a bottlenose dolphin, though stockier and with a shorter snout. The dorsal fin is far back on the body Its body is gray and covered in white, circular scars, likely bites from cookie cutter sharks. End ID)

Beaked whales are poorly-studied because of their remote habitats and tendency to spend more time underwater than other whales. It is also often hard to distinguish between different species without a close examination. The name comes from their skulls, which are notably toothless and elongated around the mouth, making them look like they have beaks. Beaked whales only have one pair of teeth and they only grow out in males. Female beaked whale teeth remain in the gums and never grow. Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), sometimes called the goose-beaked whale, is large for a beaked whale, with the larger males maxing out at 7 meters (23 ft) and 3.5 tons. They resemble dolphins in body shape, but with robust and stocky bodies. Their bodies are gray to light brown while the heads are lighter in color, especially in males. The melon is relatively small and the mouth is shorter than in most beaked whales, making it easier to differentiate them. The melon is an organ found in toothed whales that aids in echolocation.

(image: a beaked whale peaking its head out of the water. It is likely a male due to its white face. Its back is densely covered in long, whit scars. End ID)

Beaked whales have multiple adaptations to deep diving. During dives, the heart rate decreases and blood flow is redirected to more important organs and tissues. The lungs collapse, leaving oxygen storage to the hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the muscles. Long periods of time without breathing results in the buildup of lactic acid in the blood, which can be toxic. Beaked whales have enlarged spleens and livers that may help filter lactic acid out of the blood. Their bodies are very streamlined and the flippers can be held very tightly against the body to reduce drag. There are likely other adaptations for very deep and very long dives that have not been studied.

(Image: the skeleton of a Cuvier's beaked whale. It is somewhat short for a whale, with small flippers. The skull is long and flat. End ID)

Cuvier's beaked whale is the most widely-distributed beaked whale, being found worldwide in tropical to temperate waters. They prefer to swim in very deep water and are rarely seen near shore. Cuvier's beaked whale holds the record for the deepest and longest dive of any marine mammal. The records (recorded by satellite tags) for depth was a dive to 2,992 m (9,816 ft) and for length was a 222 minute (about 3.75 hours) dive. The whales will usually make multiple shallower dives to around 500 m (1,640 ft) between each deep dive, possibly to give their bodies time to recover while still searching for food. They spend very little time at the surface between dives, usually no more than 8 minutes. These short surface intervals may be to avoid predators like orcas. Occasionally, longer surface intervals of several hours have been observed. Their hunting behavior changes depending on how deep they dive. On shallower dives, they remain silent, possibly to avoid being overheard by predators, while on deep dives, they use echolocation to find prey in the darkness of the deep ocean. Cuvier's beak whale hunts via suction. They open their mouths while retracting the tongue and enlarging the throat to create a vacuum that sucks prey into their mouths, which is then swallowed whole. Dissections have revealed that squid make up over 80% of their diet. The whales forage in small pods that coordinate their dives and hunting strategy. It has been speculated that the teeth of males are used to fight over access to females. Males have been found with scars that would seem to fit being raked with another male's teeth. Males also generally have more scars than females, which would be consistent with them fighting each other. Almost nothing is known about beaked whale reproduction, though calves do live with their mothers as in other whales.

(Image: a Cuvier's beaked whale jumping out of the water. End ID)

Little is known about the conservation needs of Cuvier's beaked whale. They are likely the most abundant species of beaked whale due to their wide distribution. They are known to be threatened by entanglements in fishing nets and have been harvested by whalers in the past. They may be targeted by the Japanese whaling industry, but it is difficult to be sure due to the secrecy of said industry. Cuvier's beaked whale is known to be vulnerable to sonar, especially mid-range sonar. They have been observed avoiding areas where sonar is used and use of sonar has been correlated to mass strandings and symptoms of decompression sickness (the bends). It is possible that the sonar drives them to ascend from dives too quickly, leading to potentially fatal gas embolisms. Notably, several mass strandings happened in the Canary Islands while naval exercises were performed there. Once those exercises stopped, the mass strandings stopped as well. Cuvier's beaked whale was described and named by naturalist, zoologist, paleontologist, and virulent racist and misogynist Georges Cuvier, who described it using a skull he thought was a fossil. There has been a small push recently to begin using the name goose-beaked whale instead to keep from honoring him.

(Image: a Cuvier's beaked whale poking its head out of the water. Its body is light gray, with a few scars. End ID)

[drhoz]

#2487 - Mesoplodon layardii - Strap-toothed Beaked Whale

Named after the bizarre teeth, and Edgar Leopold Layard, the curator of the South African Museum, who sent drawings of a skull to the British taxonomist John Edward Gray, who described the species in 1865.

Largest of the Mesoplodons, growing to 6.2m in length, despite the fact that the strap-like tusks stop them opening their jaws more than 3cm. At least the females aren't so encumbered. It seems certain the teeth are used in male-male combat, but the only actual damage comes from a small spike on the tip of the teeth.

Sporadic strandings and sightings suggest the whale is widespread in the Southern Ocean, although one individual did show up in Myanmar in 2011.

Mostly a squid-feeder, caught by suction feeding. Hunted by orca, and harmed by sonar.

Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand

[beni75]

Photos and text: @thomaspeschak

1-. A blacktip reef shark navigates a narrow canyon off Aldabra Atoll. Seychelles

2-. Every winter sub-adult whale shark gather in the seas off Djibouti

3-. Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives

4-. I had been watching these seals for years & wanted to photograph them surfing a unique underwater perspective on southern African marine reserves

5-. In Mexico's San Ignacio lagoon a gray whale mother pushes it's young calf to the surface so it can get a better look at the photographer

6-. June-July is sardine run time off South Africa's East Coast. Long-beaked common dolphins are the only predators that hunt cooperatively

7-. Kira is a black labrator that loves swimming with dolphins

8-. Manta rays. Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives

9-. Mantas feeding amongst baifsish. Hanifaru Bay

10-. Reef mantas feeding at Hanifaru Marine Reserve

11-. My fascination with seahorses began more than 10 years ago when I still was a graduate student in marine biology

12-. Not all sharks look like Jaws. An endemic Puffader shy shark hovers above dive guide hand

13-. Sharks, Bohar snapper and other predatory fish are abundant on the fringing coral reefs of the seas around D'Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll, Seychelles

14-. Long beaked common dolphin hunting sardines off South Africa's Wild Coast

15-. South African free diver @hanlinprinsloo diving with blacktip sharks in the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area

16-. y 17-. South Africa's Table Mountain Marine Protected Area host a unique sevengil shark aggregation site wich draws divers from all over the world

18-. South Africa's Wild Coast is a mosaic of river mouths, grassy hillsides and formidable sea cliffs

19-. Aerial perspective of the sanctuary zone of the Ponta do Ouro Marine Reserve, Mozambique

20-. Steller's sea lions ar common off Canada's British Colomia coast where populations of their preferred prey such a sand lance and herring are still relatively abundant

21-. Sunflower sea stars are the largest shallow water starfish in the world

22-. The broadnosed sevengill shark is a top predator in South Africa's kelp forests. With saw shaped teeth akin to tiger sharks, they hunt fish and scavenge dead fur seals

23-. The seas around Aldabra atoll are some of the most pristine in the Seychelles and the entire western Indian Ocean

24-. The tail belongs to one of the top predators in South Africa's kelp forest

25-. This green turtle traverses the unbelievably blue waters of Europa Atoll in search of a mate

26-. To survive in the vastness of the open ocean, Silky sharks rely on their boldness and curiosity to investigate every opportunity that might yield a meal

27-. y 28-. This pod of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins regularly crosses from Mozambican into South African waters

[hai2700]

Design Differences:

First, I'll discuss the variations in dragon designs, which can be influenced by factors such as gender, race, and status.

Gender differences in design can vary depending on race, but there are general factors that distinguish males from females across most races. The primary distinction lies in their scales and fur. Male Hylian and Zonai Dragons have fur instead of scales, except for the scales near their spines. On the contrary, Gerudo Dragons always have scales, even if they are male, due to the female-dominant nature of their race. Gorons are similar to the hylians but instead of fur, the males have lava scales. It's worth noting that the Rito have feathers, so this rule doesn't apply to them. Another key gender difference if female Dragons are always larger than males from their own race. This results in a significant size difference between the two genders. Additionally, females will have more clublike tails with spikes, while males will have straight, pointed tails without the extra spikes. This distinction, again, does not apply to the Gerudo.

The six races of Hyrule each have distinctive characteristics that make them unique.

For example, the Hylians, the smallest dragon type, are known for their long triangular snouts with long eyelashes. They have extra smooth fur that matches their hair color on their necks, animalistic horns, and crystallized spines. Their scales or fur typically range from tan to gray and their underbelly is darker than that of most other races.

The next biggest dragon is the Rito. They have long and eloquent tails, with feathers covering their body instead of fur or scales. Their six pairs of talons are the most bird-like out of all the races. Additionally, they have small feathery wings attached to each limb that aid in maneuvering through the air. Extra feathers on their head and neck provide additional warmth, and they also have a small beak on their snout. Feathers adorn the end of their tail, and their coloring can range from blue to pink to gray to white, typically matching their previous coloration.

Next up is the Goron race. They are medium-sized and have rock-like features of various shapes and sizes on their head instead of horns. They have big circular eyes and their square snouts are very sweet and gentle despite their appearance. Additionally, they have rock-like spines running down their backs, which differ in appearance. The Gorons' bodies are either made of stone scales or lava, giving them distinct appearances depending on their gender. In both genders, their limbs are stone-like, and their tails are typically very thick.

The Zonai, who are not much bigger than the Gorons, are quite animalistic, with short curved snouts and big long ears resembling a goat. They also have quite goat-like horns and soft, bulky fur running down their necks. Their limbs are also quite long compared to most of the other races. The spikes going down their back resemble fur and even feel soft. Also one thing to keep in mind is that the zonai dragons are different from the goddess dragons. I will cover that more in the three goddesses.

The Zora, being the aquatic race, possess unique underwater adaptations that set them apart from other races. Unlike the Highlands, they lack fur on their necks; instead, their necks extend into whale or fish-like fins. They have gills for breathing underwater, as they spend most of their time there. Their spines resemble shark or fish fins, sometimes with membrane-like structures between the spines. Their tails will fan out, resembling various fish or shark tails. Their fins, replacing talons, and tan or gray underbelly further distinguish them, and they notably lack horns. Their color will match the color they were before the dragonification process.

The largest dragon race is the Gerudo, known for their bulky, pointed snouts, big eyes, and horned heads resembling sharp vines with thorns. They also have fur running down their necks and their scales typically feel sandy and rough. The Gerudo tribe shares similarities with the Hylians, as they are both people, and their spines exhibit distinct features. A difference, though, is the Gerudo tribe’s tails fan out with lots of fur.

This concludes the design portion. You can click here to view the other sections.

[liloskull343]

Trust

Sequel to: Stargazing

Next:

Evan walked through the forest, he sighed as he made sure his bag was fully closed. The last thing he needed was anything falling out, he walked further up the path. ‘’Okay maybe I should get a map next time..’’ the deer witch muttered as he kept walking, however he soon stopped as he spotted The Owl House. He quickly pulled his hood down before going to the door, he noticed Hooty was stretched out. The boy wondered if he should be thankful or not that the demon worm wasn't here to give a welcome greeting.

He honestly debated going through the back door, he really didn't want to deal with Hooty. Soon Evan found himself walking to the backdoor kitchen area, although once he found himself passing the window, he could spot Willow and Gus, as well as Hooty…Well, he supposed he was gonna bump into the demon worm sooner or later. He could also spot two pailsmans through the window.

The one near Willow was a golden yellow color, having pale yellow fur around their neck. Along with a wide brown stripe along their abdomen, they even had translucent blue wings, black eyes with yellow sclera, a gray-beak like nose and a pale-yellow stinger. The one next to Gus was a blue color with small golden horns and two ridges on their head, however they had a ridge in the center of their head that looked split. light blue eyes with dark pale yellow irises, a light green stripe under their belly that looked like it extended to their tail.

Honestly they looked adorable, perhaps Evan could ask Willow and Gus about them, like their names and what they were like. Although Evan's thoughts were halted as he heard Gus and Hooty’s voices.

‘’Hooty, we're not gonna make Luz listen to 24 hours of whale noises. What even is a whale? It looks terrifying!’’

‘’Well, I never heard of underground Korean hip-hop before.’’

‘’It’s human music and it's soothing-’’

Evan opened the door, causing both Hooty and Gus to turn their head towards him. Evan's ears went down, ‘’Oh uh, am I interrupting?’’ Evan asked, tilting his head at them. Gus shook his head, ‘’Actually, you came at the perfect time.’’ Evan blinked, now giving an even more confused look. ‘’I did…?’’

‘’Ya, me and Hooty can't decide what could help Luz feel better with her common mold.’’ Hooty huffed, ‘’All I'm saying is whale sounds are VERY comforting.’’ Gus rolled his eyes, ‘’and as I SAID BEFORE whales look terrifying and probably sound terrifying.’’ Evan rubbed the back of his neck, ‘’Well, can't say I really know since I never heard any of them.’’

Finally a frustrated sigh was heard from Willow as she turned to the three. ‘’guys, can we please not stress Evan out over something so small? Besides I have a much better suggestion.’’

The three stood in silence staring at Willow, now curiosity written on their faces, waiting for Willow to speak. Finally Willow spoke, ‘’What if we play them at the same time?’’ she asked, causing both Gus and Hooty to turn to each other with glee, smiles showing on their faces as a loud ‘’oooo!’’ was heard. Evan meanwhile raised an eyebrow, ‘’Are we sure that's a good idea?’’ Willow shrugged, ‘’I don't see the harm in it, after all it could make some really good music.’’ Gus nodded, ‘’Ya come on Evan, it could be fun.’’

Evan shrugged, ‘’I mean…sure why not?’’ He smiled softly before finding a seat and sitting down, before placing his bag on the table. Gus stared at the bag curious, ‘’What’s in the bag?’’ the younger witch asked, pointing at the light lavender bag that Evan had brought with him. Evan gently pat the bag as he spoke, ‘’Well, stuff that helps with common mold, heard that it can make you dizzy and all, so I picked up a few plants here and there for some medicine.’’

As Willow made her way over to the three, she looked at Evan with a puzzled expression before sitting down. ‘’How did you already know about Luz’s common mold before you got here?’’

‘’Oh, the plants told me.’’

An awkward silence filled the room as Hooty, Gus and Willow stared at Evan, as if he had grown a second head. Finally Gus spoke, ‘’You….can talk to plants?’’ he asked as Evan blinked. ‘’Do….Do witches with plant magic not talk to plants?’’ he asked, his ears down now, Willow shook her head in response. ‘’not necessary.’’ Evan looked down at the table, now already feeling embarrassed. ‘Titan I sound like a crazy person..’ the deer witch thought to himself, before feeling a hand on his arm, causing him to look up and spot Gus, who was putting a comforting hand on Evan's arm. ‘’Hey we didn't mean to sound judgemental, we're just surprised that's all.’’ Gus gave a reassuring smile,

‘’I never heard of any witches being able to talk to plants before!’’ Hooty tilted his head, ‘’Although THIS makes me wonder,’’ Hooty felt himself get closer to Evan. Having his forehead touching Evan’s as he stared into his eyes. ‘’Are you a demon or witch?’’ Evan blinked, ‘’uhhh…I'm pretty sure I'm a witch?.......’’

Hooty squinted his eyes, before pulling back and smiling. ‘’Well, whatever you are, you're an interesting witch or demon to say the least!’’ Evan gave a nervous chuckle. ‘’Hahaha….’’ Willow thought for a moment, ‘’Well I apologize if we upset you.’’ Evan shook his head, ‘’oh no, it's fine, I'm not upset or anything it's probably understandable you be surprised! I guess I should've mentioned it when we met.’’ he chuckled, before turning his eyes to the cassette player. ‘’so about the music mixing…’’ Willow gently picked up the two CDs, before placing them both inside the cassette player. She pulled out some headphones. The group placed the headphones on their head, except Evan who seemed to be having trouble with even placing them on his ears.

‘’you need a bit of help there…?’’ Evan shook his head, ‘’No, I got it Willow, if I can just…’’ Evan gently bent the headphones back, just enough to reach his ears. It looked rather awkward to say the least, he definitely had to at least hold them to make sure they didn't fall off. ‘’Okay! Got it.’’ Evan smiled, rather proud he managed to slide the headphones on. Gus pressed play on the cassette player, the sounds of what Evan could assume were whale noises and the underground Korean hip-hop song began to play. Evan almost felt his ears ring from the sound, it…it was a sound alright, Gus, Hooty and Willow meanwhile were seemingly enjoying the sounds being mixed together.

After 20 minutes Gus hit stopped, grinning ever so slightly. ‘’that was definitely interesting alright.’’ Hooty nodded, ‘’Ya! I wonder what other sounds we could mix together!’’ Evan gently slid off the headphones, ‘’Well I should probably check on Luz.’’ Evan got up, putting the bag around him again. ‘’You guys continue to mix some of those while I'm upstairs.’’ Evan walked to one of the cabinets before grabbing a bowl and spoon. ‘’Alright Evan, please be careful not to get common mold.’’ Willow warned, giving the deer witch a concern look, Evan just gave a small smile. ‘’I’ll be fine, not like I've dealt with sickness before.’’

Evan walked up the stairs, the floorboards quietly creaking as he did, his footsteps were quiet. As Evan kept walking he once again felt his mind wonder again. He hadn't been here for a bit, being busy with other things, but he wondered just how much he missed. Soon Evan found himself in front of the door of the guest room, he opened the door as he did he spotted Luz with an echo mouse on her chest, muttering in a little singing voice. ‘’Little mouse, Owl House, frilly blouse.’’ She was gently playing with the small creature’s ears. Evan walked over, ‘’heyy Luz, how are you feeling buddy?’’ He asked, taking a seat next to Luz, who looked at him. ‘’Hey Evan..when did youuu get here?’’ she asked, with a goofy small smile on her face. ‘’About a few minutes ago actually? I heard you had the common mold so I brought a few plants.’’

Evan sat his bag down, before opening it, taking a couple of plants out as well as a jar filled with pinkish liquid. ‘’You make medicine?’’ She asked, staring at him curious. ‘’Sorta…’’ Evan gently took some of the pinkish liquid, placing it in a bowl before grabbing and crushing up some plants. Stirring the liquid together, ‘’When I was smaller, I studied a few plants here and there, my dad-...’’ Evan suddenly became ever so quiet, before he continued to stir the pinkish liquid and plant in the bowl to a cyan greenish color. Luz stared at Evan, worry on her face clearly evident. ‘’Evan did something happen to your-’’

Evan shook his head, ‘’No, he's fine.’’ Evan took a deep breath. ‘’everything is fine, both of my parents are fine.’’ Evan looked away before handing the bowl to Luz. ‘’Look I…I didn't mean to sound rude…just been stressed is all..’’ Luz gave a soft frown, looking at him. ‘’Evan, if you need someone to talk to me and Eda are here-’’

‘’I said I'm fine.’’ Evan snapped, gently putting his bag back on, ears down. ‘’Look just….take your medicine okay?’’ Evan walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Once the door was closed Evan found himself staring at the ground, before facepalming. He knew Luz was just worried, so why did he snap? Why did he push her away? ‘’I’m so stupid…’’ He muttered, slowly he walked to the wall in front of him before gently hitting his head on the wall. ‘’Stupid, stupid…’’ he softly sighs.

‘You know you can't just push them away..’’ the deer witch thought to himself, ‘you’re gonna have to open up to them about what eventually happened…’

Silence, all there was, was silence. Nothing but Evan's thoughts, he felt pathetic, he hated standing there, head leaning on the wall. He wondered why he couldn't just tell them, why exactly was it so hard for him to just-

Evan covered his ears, taking a few breaths. His heart was thumping out of his chest, it felt like his lungs were closing. Why did it feel so hard to breathe? His entire body felt like it was shaking. He could hear THEM screaming.

The horrible screaming, ‘’shutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutup.’’

Evan begged, slowly feeling as if he was folding like a stack of cards, his knees met the ground, before his elbows followed soon after. ‘’Please, please, make it stop.’’ he felt himself gripping his ears as he curled up, seemingly in a ball. His breathing felt out of control, it felt like he was drowning, trying to get oxygen that refused to come to his lungs.

He hated it, he wanted it all to stop, he tried to take small breaths, trying to desperately keep his breathing under control. Evan felt his eyes dart around the room, spotting a few items and naming them. Slowly he felt his breathing come to a slow, as he started taking smaller breaths, his heartrate calming down, his lungs relaxing.

Everything was fine, he was fine, everything was okay. Evan looked at the door to where Luz was, he definitely should apologize for how he acted. He walked over to the door, opening only to be greeted by glass cracking, causing Evan to immediately swing the door open, seeing the knocked over broken crystal ball. ‘’Dang it!’’ was heard from Luz as she tried getting up, ‘’Luz?! Titan what happened? Why are you trying to get up?’’ Evan immediately went over to her, before gently placing her back on the mattress. ‘’Need to warn Eda, Amity and King!’’ Luz yelled, Evan's ears went up. ‘’Whoa slow down, just take a few deep breaths and tell me what happened.’’

Luz took a couple of small breaths, trying to find her wording as she did. ‘’Eda, Amity and King went to get some Titan Blood at Eclipse Lake! A-and they might discover Fool’s Blood and get killed!’’ Luz managed to explain as Evan's ears went up. ‘’Titan’s Blood?? Why do you need it for a key?’’ Evan asked, now even more confused with what was happening. ‘’I’ll explain later, I just need to get up and warm them!’’ Luz was about to attempt to get up again before Evan managed to stop her by putting both his hands on her shoulders and laying her back down. ‘’Luz, you can not go in your state!’’ Evan objected, ears down, worry clearly on his face. ‘’Look, how about I go and tell them okay? I don't want you getting anymore sick then you already are okay?’’ Luz looks down, before sighing. ‘’Alright, hold on let me just-’’ Luz grabbed a piece of paper before scribbling down something and handing it to Evan. He looked at it, gently taking it before placing it in his bag, ‘’Thanks,’’ Evan stood up before stopping and looking back. ‘’Hey Luz, I'm…sorry about earlier..’’ and with that Evan left the room.

As soon as Luz was left alone, she managed to spot her little game device, an idea popping in her head before she snatched it. She started typing on it, sending a few messages to Amity’s game device, mainly Incase Evan did get lost. She really hoped Amity and the others were okay.

…��.

Okay, maybe Evan couldn't understand the map, he stared at it, trying to figure out which path he was actually taking, he began to wonder if he had accidentally gotten lost by accident. He kept walking, making sure to avoid any coven scouts that were probably portalling the forest. Thankfully, none seemed to actually be patrolling.

‘’Okay on Evan, this is the least you can do to make up with how you snapped at Luz, dang it!’’ He scolded himself. He looked up at the sky, noticing how dark it had gotten. How long had he been walking for? Hours? Ya it definitely was hours, Almost immediately concern filled Evan as he started to let his imagination take over at what kind of danger the others could be in.

As he let his mind just wander off, he didn't pay attention to where he was going before immediately bumping into someone, Evan yelped looking up as he did. ‘’huh?’’ he spotted,..... Eda? She definitely looked different alright, she had long dark gray hair, even having tufts of hair coming out of her elongated ears. She turned to Evan, her wings gently flapping, her black sclera yellow eyes staring at him.

He raised a hand up, opening his mouth as he tried to process what he was exactly seeing. ‘’Are…..are you a harpy?’’ he asked, Eda picked up a vole before swallowing it, and nodding. As she spoke her voice sounded off, as if she had multiple voices speaking at once. ‘’oh right you weren't here for that were you?’’ She said with a chuckle, as she gave a grin. Evan shook his head, ‘’Big Ears, What are you doing out here?’’ King asked waddling up to Evan, Evan gave a soft sigh, ‘’Well I actually came to warn you about…Fool’s Blood? Ya I'm still kinda lost here and I need someone to explain to me what's happening.’’ Evan fixed his glasses, as he softly sighs. Gently rubbing the back of his head, still trying to process everything. He then heard another voice one he didn't recognize, ‘’Wait you know Luz?’’ Evan looked over, spotting a thin witch with pale skin, bright golden eyes. Her hair was shorten above her shoulders, lavender in color with brown on the undercuts at her temples.

Realization suddenly hit Evan ‘’Hey wait a minute, you're the youngest Blight, and ya I know Luz, we been friends for a bit.’’ Amity raised a eyebrow at him, ‘’You heard of my family?’’ Evan nodded, ‘’I mean your families abomination invention ads are everywhere.’’ King then spoke up, ‘’as for what happened, Eda had a whole owl beast thing and made peace with it and now we got well, that.’’ King pointed to Eda who had managed to grab another vole before snacking on it, causing Evan to shudder ever so slightly. ‘’So you're not aware about Luz being stuck here?’’ Amity asked, as Evan shook his head. ‘’No, of course not. I don't think she ever told me.’’

‘’Well, she needs Titan Blood to make a portal to get back home.’’ Amity explained, Evan gave a surprise look, before holding the front of his head, ‘’Titan, I've missed a lot huh?’’ he sighed, before looking at the ground, ears down. ‘’So where's the key?’’ Amity gave a soft sigh, ‘’Well, we HAD the key, but the Golden Guard-’’

Evan’s ears went immediately up, his full attention on Amity as soon as she said those words. ‘’The Golden Guard? What did he do?’’ Amity’s eyes widen in slight surprise, ‘’You also KNOW the Golden Guard too?’’ Evan rubbed the back of his neck before looking away, ‘’It’s complicated but sorta?’’

Amity gave a frown, ‘’You shouldn't be around him, he's dangerous.’’ she warned, as Evan's brows furrowed a small bit. He shook his head, ‘’But he hasn't done anything harmful from what I know of, surely there must've to have been a misunderstanding right?’’

Finally Eda spoke up, ‘’Evan, the kid's right from what I was told, he started attacking Amtiy and King, trying to get the key. And well, threatening Luz’’ Evan’s eyes immediately widened, ‘’He what?! But he, I-’’ Eda placed a hand on his shoulder, ‘’Kid, there is a likely chance he is manipulating you, you have to be careful around people like The Golden Guard.’’ Evan looked down, ‘’I…I understand Eda..’’

Eda then flew up, gently picking up King and Amity as she did ‘’Come on, we should head back.’’ she held out her hand for Evan, who gently took it without a second thought.

Thoughts ran through Evan's mind as Eda flew to The Owl House, had Hunter truly been manipulating him? Had Hunter been lying to him? Surely Evan would've realized when he was being manipulated, right? However as Evan continued to go deeper into his thoughts, he noticed they landed right in front of The Owl House. Eda gently sat them down, Amity opened the door before entering as the rest followed, well except for Eda who proceeded to get stuck in the doorframe, ‘’Gah, shoot!’’ she muttered, ‘’Kiddos a little help?’’ she asked, trying to push herself through the door. Amity looked over at King and Evan, ‘’okay I'll grab her arm, you grab her hair and other arm.’’ Both King and Evan nodded, before the three started trying to get Eda unstuck.

That's when Luz, Gus, Willow, and Hooty seemed to appear, seemingly hearing Eda trying to get in the house. Honestly Evan lost track of what everyone had been saying, his mind still jumbled with thoughts from earlier. Although Evan snapped out of it when hearing Gus, ‘’Evan where did you head off to? You've been gone for like hours! We were worried dude!’’ Evan's ears went down, as a nervous chuckle escaped him. ‘’Uhh…a emergency came up?’’ However he yelped as him, King, and Amity fell back as Eda managed to pull herself inside. Luz immediately ran over, hugging Amity, ‘’Amity! I'm so glad my awesome girlfriend is okay!’’ Amity felt her face reddening as she hugged Luz back and smiled. ‘’Me too!’’

Evan raised an eyebrow, looking over at Willow and Gus as they nodded, before Evan looked back. ‘’Ya I really need to start catching up with things here…’’ Evan mutters, Gus just gently pat his head, ‘’Don’t be so hard on yourself.’’

King made an annoyed grumble, walking over to Luz and Amity, stomping his foot. ‘’No King hug?!’’ He huffed pointing at Amity with a glare, ‘’You are swindler and a thief!’’ Luz noticing this, felt her mouth become a grin before getting up and scooping up King. ‘’Come here, buddy!’’

King yelped immediately squirming as he did, ‘’I regret this!’’

Evan watched the scene as he chuckled, before his left ear flickered looking over at Amity and Eda, who seemingly were muttering to each other. Evan couldn't make out much what they were saying, but something about how they might be okay.

Evan truly hope so.

[whaleswagbracket]

Whale Tournament Masterpost!

Welcome to the whale swag bracket, a competition to determine the best species of whale! This competition will include 64 species (who have already been selected) in the infraorder Cetacea, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. 

All match ups were decided randomly, and I did my best to prevent any ridiculously unfair matchups. I encourage everyone to make an effort to learn about some lesser-known competitors, I’m sure you’ll find them quite interesting!

The only rules are to have fun, be nice to everyone, and don’t bot the polls please I love whales too but let’s make this fair.

The first round of polls will be split up into two groups to prevent too many polls running at once, and the first round will begin on Friday, February 17th at 12 PM EST. Links to all the polls, as well as the complete bracket, can be found here!

Bracket

Round One, Part One: CLOSED

Gray whale vs True’s beaked whale

Northern bottlenose whale vs Strap-toothed whale

Atlantic spotted dolphin vs Dall’s porpoise

Northern right whale dolphin vs Rice’s whale

White-beaked dolphin vs Cuvier’s beaked whale

Killer whale vs false killer whale

Tucuxi vs Risso’s dolphin

Sei whale vs Narwhal

Heaviside’s dolphin vs Blue whale

Dwarf sperm whale vs Harbor porpoise

Antarctic minke whale vs Hector’s dolphin

Striped dolphin vs Rough-toothed dolphin

Commerson’s dolphin vs Spectacled porpoise

Pygmy right whale vs Sato’s beaked whale

Atlantic white-sided dolphin vs Southern right whale dolphin

Hourglass dolphin vs Common dolphin

Round One, Part Two: CLOSED

Yangtze finless porpoise vs Blainville’s beaked whale

Bottlenose dolphin vs Indus river dolphin

Melon-headed whale vs Southern right whale

Omura’s whale vs Amazon river dolphin

Pygmy sperm whale vs Australian humpback dolphin

Baiji vs Vaquita

Spinner dolphin vs Bowhead whale

Pantropical spotted dolphin vs Dusky dolphin

Australian snubfin dolphin vs Bryde’s whale

Short-finned pilot whale vs Pygmy killer whale

Beluga vs Humpback whale

North Atlantic right whale vs Fin whale

Common minke whale vs Irrawaddy dolphin

Sowerby’s beaked whale vs La Plata river dolphin

Sperm whale vs Indo Pacific humpback dolphin

Baird’s beaked whale vs Pacific white-sided dolphin

Round Two: ONGOING

Gray whale vs Strap-toothed whale

Atlantic spotted dolphin vs Northern right whale dolphin

Cuvier’s beaked whale vs Killer whale

Tucuxi vs Narwhal

Blue whale vs Harbor porpoise

Antarctic minke whale vs Striped dolphin

Commerson’s dolphin vs Sato’s beaked whale

Southern right whale dolphin vs Hourglass dolphin

Yangtze finless porpoise vs Indus River dolphin

Southern right whale vs Amazon river dolphin

Pygmy sperm whale vs Vaquita

Spinner dolphin vs Dusky dolphin

Australian snubfin dolphin vs Pygmy killer whale

Beluga vs Fin whale

Irrawaddy dolphin vs La Plata river dolphin

Sperm whale vs Pacific white-sided dolphin

Round Three: CLOSED

Gray whale vs Atlantic spotted dolphin

Killer whale vs Narwhal

Blue whale vs Striped dolphin

Commerson’s dolphin vs Hourglass dolphin

Yangtze finless porpoise vs Amazon river dolphin

Vaquita vs Spinner dolphin

Australian snubfin dolphin vs Beluga

Irrawaddy dolphin vs Sperm whale

Round Four: CLOSED

Atlantic spotted dolphin vs Narwhal

Blue whale vs Hourglass dolphin

Amazon river dolphin vs Vaquita

Beluga vs Sperm whale

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Favorite type of whale? (technical or non-technical answer, either is fine. I'm just curious because it was listed in the non-exhaustive subjects).

how to choose. gray and right whales are both pretty much in first place, but im also obsessed with how little we know about beaked whales in general. weird faces. deep sea. they freak me out. i love them.

- L

its ask day! new prompts from next monday. in the mean time, send me an ask about, well, basically anything.

[bestgullpoll]

Round 1, Side A: Match 1

[Image ID: Two pictures of gulls. The left is a kelp gull on a mossy rock. The right is an Andean gull walking across grass. /End ID]

The kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) is a large gull that lives and breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere, including South America, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, southern Africa, and Antarctica. They typically measure 54-65 cm (21-26 in) in length and 128-142 cm (50-56 in) in wingspan. They have black upperparts and wings; white underparts, tail, head, and "mirrors" at the wingtips; greenish-yellow legs; and yellow bill with a red spot. They have been observed preying on living right whales by using their powerful beaks to peck into skin and blubber, seal pups, and shellfish by repeatedly flying several meters into the air and dropping them onto rocks below to break them open.

The Andean gull (Chroicocephalus serranus) can be found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. They typically measure 42-48 cm (17-19 in) in length. They have a black head with a white crescent behind the eye, white tail, white body, and grey back. Sometimes they have a pink flush on the underparts. The underside of the wing is pale gray with a black outer half and large white "mirrors" on the three outermost primaries. They have brown eyes and dark reddish brown legs and bill. They feed on worms, insects, amphibians, small fish, and occasionally eggs and chicks of waterbirds in the mountains; and offal, fish, and marine invertebrates along the coast.

kelp gull image by Andrew Shiva

Andean gull image by Nick Athanas

[afemalesebastian]

Psalm for the January Thaw

Blessed be God for thaw, for the clear drops

that fall, one by one, like clocks ticking, from

the icicles along the eaves. For shift and shrinkage,

including the soggy gray mess on the deck

like an abandoned mattress that has

lost its inner spring. For the gurgle

of gutters, for snow melting underfoot when I

step off the porch. For slush. For the glisten

on the sidewalk that only wets the foot sole

and doesn’t send me slithering. Everything

is alert to this melting, the slow flow of it,

the declaration of intent, the liquidation.

Glory be to God for changes. For bulbs

breaking the darkness with their green beaks.

For moles and moths and velvet green moss

waiting to fill the driveway cracks. For the way

the sun pierces the window minutes earlier each day.

For earthquakes and tectonic plates-earth’s bump

and grind-and new mountains pushing up

like teeth in a one-year-old. For melodrama—

lightning on the sky stage, and the burst of applause

that follows. Praise him for day and night, and light

switches by the door. For seasons, for cycles

and bicycles, for whales and waterspouts,

for watersheds and waterfalls and waking

and the letter W, for the waxing and waning

of weather so that we never get complacent. For all

the world, and for the way it twirls on its axis

like an exotic dancer. For the north pole and the

south pole and the equator and everything between.

Luci Shaw

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: leatherback sea turtle

When most people think of big turtles they think of the giant tortoises of the Galapagos. Those may be the biggest land turtles., but in the water, life can get bigger. Much like how whales get bigger than any land mammal, the viscous and buoyant properties of water helping counteract gravity lets sea turtles get bigger than their land counterparts. This Wet Beast Wednesday I'm discussing the largest of all turtles, the mighty leatherback.

(Image: a leatherback sea turtle swimming just below the ocean's surface. It is a very large turtle with ridges running down its shell and its front and hind legs modified into large, paddle-like flippers. It is dark gray all over, with white spots. End ID)

Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) is not only the largest turtle, it's the heaviest of all living reptiles that aren't crocodilians. Adults average 1.8-2.2 m (6-7.2 ft) in length and 250-700 kg (550-1,540) lbs, with some variation in size based on region. Leatherbacks are the only living members of the family Dermochelyidae while the other 6 living species are all in the family Cheloniidae. This gives leatherbacks multiple anatomical differences from other sea turtles. One of these differences gives the leatherbacks their common names. Instead of a bony shell made of scutes, their shells are made of thick, oily and leathery skin that is embedded with small bony growths called osteoderms. The thick skin and osteoderms provide protection and allow pressure to distribute across the shell, making the shells highly resistant to being bitten trhough and highly resistant to cracking. Seven prominent ridges run down the length of the shell. The shape of the shell makes leatherbacks the most hydrodynamic of all sea turtles. The shell's shape and structure provides it with a high resistance to pressure, useful as leatherbacks dive deeper than any other sea turtle.

(Image: a leatherback sea turtle seen from the front with its mouth open. The head has a beak instead of teeth and the interior of the mouth is fleshy and pink. End ID)

Leatherback sea turtles are powerful swimmers. Their powerful front flipper provide propulsion while the rear flippers are used for steering. The flippers can grow up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft) long, making them the largest of all sea turtles both in overall size and in relation to body size. Those flippers make the leatherback the fastest non-bird reptile, able to reach 35.3 km/h (21.9 mph), though they usually swim much slower. Of all the reptiles to be the fastest, I would never have guessed it would be a turtle. Leatherback beaks are fragile and not suited for biting through anything but soft-bodied animals, so they swallow most of their food whole. The throat is lined with backwards-facing spines that prevent prey from swimming back up the throat. While leatherbacks have scaly hides like other reptiles, they are the only reptile whose scales do not contain the structural protein beta-keratin.

(Image: the mouth of a leatherback being held open to reveal the interior. It is pink and fleshy and lined with backwards-pointing spikes. End ID)

Unlike most (non-bird) reptiles, leatherbacks maintain a core body temperature higher than the surrounding environment. It was formerly believed that this endothermy was established through an increased metabolism, though more recent measurements have establised that leatherbacks do not have a metabolic rate much higher than would be expected for a turtle of their size. It is now thought that body heat is maintained through heavy muscle activity. Leatherbacks are almost always actively swimming and spend at little as 0.1% of their day resting. By constantly swimming, their muscles generate heat. This body heat is then retained through a countercurrent heat exchange system that warms blood before it reaches the core and a thick layer of fat, allowing leatherbacks to inhabit water much colder than any other sea turtle.

(Image: a leatherback sea turtle on the beach, presumably a mother laying eggs. Multiple children are watching it and an adult is roping off the area around it to keep it safe. End ID)

Leatherback sea turtles are found worldwide and have the largest range of any turtle. Thanks to their high body heat, leatherbacks can live in waters as far north as Alaska and as far south as Aotearoa/New Zealand. Scientists have observed three genetically distinct populations, one in the Atlantic ocean and one each in the east and west Pacific Ocean. In addition, there are two other proposed populations, one in the Indian Ocean that is understudied and one in the South China Sea that is nearing extinction. They spend most of their lives in the open ocean, hunting prey. The primary prey of the leatherback sea turtle is jellyfish and they have to eat a lot of them to maintain their size. Other food sources include siphonophores, salps and pyrosomes, small fish, small crustaceans, and seagrass and seaweed. Leatherbacks play an important role in their environments by keeping jellyfish populations under control. Excessive jellyfish can overfeed on the plankton population, removing food sources for small animals and killing larval fish. A lot of jellyfish follow diel vertical migration; moving to deep water during the day and shallow water at night. Leatherbacks are adapted to follow their food and are among the deepest diving of all air-breathing marine animals, having been observed diving over 1,000 m (3281 ft) deep. Only sperm whales and beaked whales are known to dive deeper. Their high body temperature and shell structure allows leatherbacks to survive the frigid temperature and immense pressure of the deep sea. Dives can last up to 70 minutes, though most last from 3 - 8 minutes.

(Image: a leatherback sea turtle underwater, aiming downwards. End ID)

Leatherbacks migrate vast distances between their cold feeding grounds and the warm, tropical waters where they mate. Females may release pheromones into the water to attract males. Once a male find a female, he will attempt to woo her through head and flipper movements, nuzzling, and biting. When the female accepts, the two mate while in the water and then depart. Females must haul out of the water and onto shore to lay their eggs. Like other sea turtles, they tend to return to the beach of their birth, though they may also choose nearby beaches. Their preferred beaches have soft sand and a low angle of entry that face deep water. They also prefer beaches that have forests or dunes on the edge. Females lay eggs at night to avoid predators and overheating, but they have poor night vision. Thus, they prefer the forests and dunes to give a clear distinction between the moonlit ocean and the darkness at the edge of the beach. That way they can find they way onto shore by following the shadows and back to sea by following the light. Eggs must be laid above the high tide line and are buried in the sand. Females will mate multiple times each mating season and can lay a new clutch of eggs for each mating. An average clutch has 110 eggs, half of which will hatch. Eggs hatch in 60-70 days and the temperature of the sand around them determines whether the young will develop into males or females. In addition, eggs laid in colder sand usually develop into larger and more robust juveniles. Eggs hatch in groups during night and the hatchlings will follow moonlight reflected off of the water to find the ocean. During the trip to the water, many hatchlings will be lost to predation by opportunistic land predators and seabirds. Those who reach the water have a chance at survival, but are still preyed upon by squid, large fish, and sharks. Only a very few hatchlings will live long enough to reach adulthood.

(Image: a leatherback laying eggs. She has dug out a pit behind her and is releasing small, spherical, white eggs into it. End ID)

Leatherback sea turtles are classified as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN, with some populations being more endangered than others. In particular, the east Pacific, west Pacific, southwest Indian, and southwest Atlantic subpopulations are listed as critically endangered, with the rest being either endangered or data deficient. Human activity is a major threat to the turtles. Leatherbacks can be caught as bycatch in nets or lines, leading to drowning and they are too large for some turtle safety mechanisms (like escape hatches on nets) to work. Pollution is also a major problem as floating plastic bags can be mistaken for jellyfish and swallowed. These bags can then obstruct the digestive system, ultimately killing the turtle. Another major problem is light pollution. Because hatchlings follow the brightest lights to reach the ocean, they can end up following artificial light instead of moonlight and end up moving away from the ocean instead of toward it. While adults are rarely caught for food, eggs are heavily harvested in southeast Asia and the Caribbean, where they are seen as delicacies or medicinal. It has been suggested that the population collapse in the South China Sea is largely due to overharvesting eggs for use in cuisine. Multiple countries around the world have given the turtles legal protection and local government and private agencies are aiding in turtle conservation through methods like helping juveniles reach the sea, artificial incubation of eggs, and raising awareness through ecotourism.

(Image: a hatchling leatherback. It is a miniature version of an adult and is climbing over other eggs, many of which are in the process of hatching. End ID)

[drhoz]

#2485 - Mesoplodon grayi - Gray's Beaked Whale

AKA Haast's beaked whale, the scamperdown whale, or the southern beaked whale. In te re Māori hakurā or iheihe.

FIrst described in 1876 by Julius von Haast, director of the Canterbury Museum, in Christchurch, New Zealand. He named it after the British taxonomist John Edward Gray, a zoologist at the British Museum. Gray had already named another whale after the founder of the Colonial Museum in Wellington.

A comparatively well-known member of the genus, found in the Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 45°, and regularly stranded (although one very peculiar stranding was in the Netherlands. God knows what it was doing up there). Pods include up to 28 individuals, judging by the strandings in New Zealand.

Both sexes have small teeth at the rear of the jaw, but males also have a pair of triangular teeth halfway along the jaw that they use in combat with other males, if the scars on males are any evidence. Circular scars are the result of Cookiecutter Shark bites.

Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand

[lelouch]

one is also a Gray Whale and the other is Cuvier's Beaked Whale and I just realized the Minke is a dwarf Minke (based on the coloring 😔) but idk if you care about that for your tags fsjcjdjf I'm a little obsessed with whales

thank you sina!!! i was unsure if it was a grey whale thank you! :D i care 🫂🐋 i love whales too but i think you're more knowledgeable on this front ^__^

[margridarnauds]

So, I first found out about Risso's Dolphins when I was 12. I was obsessed with this game called Wii: Endless Ocean. Basically a dive simulator game that gives you information on different creatures that you come across. And Risso's Dolphins are one of the dolphins that you can encounter.

And I fell in DEEP love with them at first sight. In the way that only an autistic 12 year old can fall deeply in love with something -- whole-heartedly, earnestly, and obsessively. EVERYTHING was Risso's Dolphins. I wanted to become a marine biologist so I could study Risso's Dolphins in the wild. (Was devastated by the math requirements...just in time for me to take some humanities classes and realize that I actually REALLY loved those now that I knew you could study them.)

What makes them special? (Since I've never passed up a chance to infodump on Risso's Dolphins in my life and I'm not about to start now.)

They are deep sea dolphins, observed at depths of at least 600m. It does this by effectively turning its body into a DRILL in the water, spinning so that it just...cuts through. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that you could have a mammal going to depths like that. (Mandatory "sperm whales and false killer whales can also go to extreme depths, with even bottlenose dolphins being able to turn in impressive depths, with Cuvier's beaked whales being the kings of mammalian deep diving"...but this isn't about them.) (Back when I wanted to do marine biology, I was FASCINATED by deep sea life.)

(Image source) (Look at that FACE.)

Probably their most notable feature is their skin, which starts off as a dark gray but, over time, has scars accumulate, leaving them with distinctive white markings. There can be any number of causes for the scarring, including squid and conflicts with other dolphins.

One of the larger dolphin species, coming close to the bottlenose dolphin (who it's been known to interbreed with) in terms of size.

Incredibly social, with pods of up to 4000 individuals being spotted.

We STILL don't have an estimate for their overall distribution, even though it's generally believed they're abundant -- they can be spotted all over the world.

There was one celebrity Risso's Dolphin, Pelorous Jack, who lived in Aotearoa from 1888-1912 and escorted ships back and forth -- he was the first individual sea creature to be protected by law, after someone tried to take a shot at him.

The post that kicked this off was this one, which focuses on their scarring and how it could be used in character design, but it actually made me a little bit emotional, just because they never really get attention. I've noticed there have been a few studies of them that have been done since I was considering doing this professionally, but still, there are a lot of blank spaces. I love their little round faces and their white marks and their ability to go over twice the depth that we can in the ocean without getting crushed.

I'm. So sorry. To anyone who just found out that I'm Not Okay about Risso's Dolphins and haven't been for years.