#shepherd's beaked whale

[inatungulates]

Shepherd’s beaked whale Tasmacetus shepherdi

Observed by oscarkokako, CC BY-NC-ND

[drhoz]

#2488 - Tasmacetus shepherdi - Shepherd's Beaked Whale

One last beaked whale from the Whanganui Regional Museum, but this one is extra-special - it's the holotype of a species discovered by the curator in 1937.

AKA Tasman's beaked whale or simply the Tasman whale. The only member of its genus, only seen alive four confirmed times, and very rarely stranded.

George Shepherd found the whale near Hāwera, determined it was something unusual, and had the by-then month-dead remains shipped to the museum, wrapped in disinfectant and cloth, and left them on the museum roof to finish breaking down. He wisely didn't inform the locals where the ungodly stench was coming from.

About halfway down the spine the vertebrae are deformed by a large lumpy growth, that was compressing the spinal cord and may have been the cause of death. Probably extremely painful, too.

Adults can reach lengths of 6 metres (20 ft) to 7.1 metres (23 ft) and weigh about 2.32 to 3.48 tons. At birth they may be about 3 metres (9.8 ft) long. Unusually toothy for a Ziphiid, possessing a full set of 17 to 27 pairs of teeth. This is probably because the species eats more fish than the usually squid-focused other beaked whales.

Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand

[lightning-of-farosh]

Mermaid Legend

I think this was a livewrite at some point but i never edited it and i never posted it. have some mer-legend!

Sand billowed out in small, rolling clouds, kicked up by a flat, pink fin. Fish darted out of the way, fleeing beneath the shadow of wide stingray wings and into the deep corners of a reef. Nothing followed them; the merman happy enough to weave between a shiver of frowning sharks.

He bopped one on the top of the head and darted off into deeper, bluer waters.

 Desert stretched out before Legend; flat and full of sand, of wilderness, of everything and nothing all at once. He dragged his fingers along the ocean floor, winding back and forth with no set direction only to turn and watch as the murkiness he created settled grumpily behind him.

Spring had given way to summer, the waters warmed by currents from the south. Storms were replaced by bright blue skies and heavy sunlight that drew gold patterns along the sand. Legend admired the way they played across the stripes along his tail.

A sea turtle passed below him. No place to go, no place to be.

Dropping his hand, Legend traced the pattern along its shell with a finger and watched it head deeper into the blue. Sounds echoed from further out; whales and dolphins and beasts that had more teeth than he did. He debated heading over to see what the fuss was about but turned, instead, into a roll and kicked off in a random direction.

Darkness passed over him and Legend curled, watching the triangular shadow for a second. It flittered from left to right then back again and he darted after it, chasing across the sea floor with a boyish grin on his lips. One kick got him close enough that he could pounce, burying his fingers into the sand—

An octopus flashed bright red and scurried in the other direction.

Legend blew a few bubbles after it in apology and turned on his back, watching the shadow dart back and forth above him. Metal settled against his chest and he reached up absently, running his fingers along the edge of a ring before tangling his fingers in the leather necklace it was hanging from.

A bird passed over head. Another followed. He followed them with lazy flicks of his tailfin and spread out his arms to glide. The heaviness of the warm waters settled in his skin, chasing away the coolness that had been there for so long. Blonde hair drifted around his face, swirling like a pleasant storm. Pink was returning to it after all those years of dying it black and blonde.

He had missed it.

Somewhat.

Fish scattered around him and Legend flared out his fins, using the drag to slow him to a stop. There were shadows above, shadows below. A school broke and formed around him, twisting as one and parting as many.

Legend swam below it, settling with his back in the sand to watch feathers break the surface of the water as beaks snatched what they could. It would have been easier for the birds with a pod of dolphins circling like a pack of shepherds because the fish would have nowhere to go.

As it was, the school simply parted and most of the birds shot back into the sky empty bellied.

Wondering—briefly—which group he should play with, Legend brushed his tail back and forth through the sand. It rose around him, drifting like a storm cloud across his bright scales, and there was a distant rumble of thunder.

He twisted, eyeing the sunlight that drifted through the surface, at the shadows of birds and fish and half formed clouds that dotted the bottom of the sea. Ignoring the dance of predator and prey behind him, Legend kicked away from the sand and broke the surface. His hair stuck to his face and ears, clinging to his skin and he wiped it out of the way with a scowl.

There was a pod of clouds in the distance. Grey. Dark. Heavy. They were singular in the sky; a patch of darkness on a blue canvas.

A seagull squawked above him. Legend glanced up at it and frowned.

“Yeah, yeah,” He told it and rolled his eyes. His fin caught the water and he kicked forward, diving back under the surface and shooting off towards the out-of-place storm. A few smaller fish got caught in his wake and were brushed to the side, little fins rushing to dart out of his way.

Legend didn’t notice, arching over the remains of a small fishing boat, around a small forest of kelp, and twisting between two of the larger boulders.

One scraped along his dorsal but he ignored it, watching the sky darken the closer he got to the storm. The water grew shallower; crab claws replacing small schools of fish and old nets threatened to snatch him from where they had been caught along rocks and branches of white streaked coral.

Heavy waves picked up the sand and he swam up, surfacing a second time to look up at the side of a towering cliff.

A wave crashed against the back of his head and Legend cursed when he was forced back under.

Stupid, he thought, waiting for another to pass before rising again. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the different light and he kicked to steady himself, arms stretched out for balance. Crested white caps pushed against him, trying to nudge him closer to sharpened rocks but he kicked against the force, fighting to keep place.

Light flashed in the darkness. Thunder rumbled above his head.

Beyond the small patch of the storm, there was nothing but clear blue skies.

Magic.

He dropped back down and swam back, closer to the edge of the clouds and kicked hard against the bottom to shoot up. Half his torso breeched the waves.

A flash of silver steel, of brown, of green.

Lightning crashed from the heavens, echoing a howl of rage.

Legend dropped back into the water before the earth shattering boom could rattle his bones.

Definitely magic. His fingers dug into sand and he watched for any more angry flashing light—but it only flickered, fading away and leaving the clouds behind. Legend pushed off the sea floor, rising slowly, and peeked his eyes above the waves to look up at the sky. His heart was hammering in his chest, old memories of storms rising like a tsunami in his chest—

Red caught his eye and he twisted, baring his teeth in a half formed snarl.

Fire fell, spitting and sparking, into the waves. It existed for a moment in the water despite its nature and then faded, swallowed up by the unforgiving ocean. Small bits of rock tumbled down the cliffside, knocked astray by a heel.

Legend turned his gaze up to the young man backed up against the ledge.

His blade was a hungry blaze, arching to block the swing from a mace, the thrust of a sword, the arch of an axe. Creatures with the faces of pigs and canines and lizards snarled at him, climbing over each other to get closer.

Legend cursed himself for leaving his sword behind as he reached for the ring against his chest.

Well, it wouldn’t matter. A rock could bash in a monster skull if it was thrown hard enough.

He tugged on the leather necklace, prepared to pull it over his head when hands grabbed a green tunic, pulling the teenager away from the edge of the cliff.

That’s nice of them, Legend thought. They normally try to push me off it.

The teen wrenched out of their grip, green fabric tearing as he stepped back—

His weight teetered backwards, shield flung out as if for balance. Gravity wrapped hungry, desperate fingers around the heavy metal and tugged the kid off the cliff and into the waters below.

“Shit!” Legend cried, diving under the water and racing forward. Not the rocks, he begged, having to take it slow because of the sand kicked up from the storm. Not the rocks, not the rocks, not the—*

His fingers found cloth. Found skin. He wrapped his arms around a chest and kicked back, heading up and away, diagonal from any possible danger. Nails dug into his shoulders and something batted uselessly against Legend’s chest as he kicked and kicked and kicked.

They surfaced with a gasp and he looked down at messy brown hair, at wide, half-coloured eyes—

A palm shoved against his face.

Legend sputtered and a fist knocked against his chin, his collar, his shoulder. “Wait, wait!” He almost dropped back beneath the surface. “Shit, kid! Stop it—!”

“Let go of me!” Toes caught on his scales and pushed.

“Fine! Hylia,” Legend snarled. “Have it your way,” He said, shoving the kid away.

The brown haired teen stayed above the water for a second, arms and legs flailing uselessly.

And then he dropped like a stone.

“Shit!” Legend scrambled down after him. He grabbed the back of the tunic that time, wrenching the teen back to the surface.

He was coughing, gagging on salt water.

Serves him right.

“What the hell, kid!”

“Geddoff me!”

“No!” Legend shook him like a misbehaving shark. “You can’t swim, you idiot!”

A hand missed his ear by inches. “Screw you! I’m not going back with you—”

Wait, Legend blinked. What?

“—pig faced, ugly ass, red loving shit stain of a—”

“First of all,” Legend cut him off, “rude. Look at me. I’m none of those things.”

The kid splashed water at his face.

Little shit.

Legend shook him again for good measure.  “Second of all, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Narrowed eyes stared at him, searched his face, caught on the point of his ears and the line of his jaw.

And then they looked down.

“You have a tail.”

Goddess, Legend rolled his eyes. “And you have legs. Let’s move on.”

“Why do you have a tail?”

“Because my mommy had one and my daddy had one and one day they decided to make babies—”

There was a splash behind them. Both turned and watched one of the lizards slipping through the waves like a serpent.

“Fuck,” Legend bared his teeth and watched the silver beast get closer. Its eyes flashed yellow in the lightening shadows as electricity sparked across the horn on its head. “Give me your sword.”

The teen muttered something.

“What?”

Brown eyes flashed. “I said ‘I dropped it’!”

“Dropped it? Where?”

“Where do you think, genius?”

Legend cursed.

The lizard was getting closer. Above them, the storm clouds were clearing.

“Don’t hit me again,” Legend told the teen, turning around and pulling him closer. “And hang on.”

Timid fingers brushed against his shoulder then gained more confidence as they brushed against the leather of his necklace and the scales along his collar. Arms locked around his neck and Legend could feel the pounding of the kid’s heart against his back.

“Deep breath,” he said and waited for the sharp sound of an inhale before dropping. Using the extra weight to spin around, Legend kick off towards the side of the cliff.

The shadow of the lizard passed overhead. Sharp, white claws were too slow and Legend’s tail slipped easily past its grasp.

His burst of speed put enough distance between them and the monster for a moment and Legend used his hands to feel for stone and kelp and sand.

Bubbles blew past his hair.

Hang on, kid, he thought, patting frantically against the sand. Hang on, hang on—

The grip around his neck loosened.

Legend’s fingers hit metal. He snatched the hilt of the silver blade, dug out the shield beside it, and tucked both against his chest as he shot towards the surface. 

There was a frantic, desperate gasp against his ear and the teen shuddered against his back, shaking and coughing wetly against his shoulder.

“You okay, kid?” Legend adjusted his grip on the sword and watched as a crocodile shaped head lifted out of the water.

The monster opened its mouth bearing its curved, pointed teeth.

Legend bared his right back.

Coughing continued against his back, but the hand against his chest curled and offered a weak thumbs up.

Good lad, Legend thought, pressing the shield against his chest with one hand and hoisting the sword with the other. “Take another deep breath for me, then.”

There was a grumble against his skin. It was probably something rude.

Despite himself, Legend smiled. The kid had fight in him. That was good.

Lungs expanded and he heard the rush of an inhale. Legend dropped back below the surface and pushed himself as fast as he could, rushing forward in a roar of bubbling water. The sword was held out in front of him like a spear as sand rose in his wake, launched up with the force of his kicking. The lizard creature scrambled out of his way with a screech and Legend laughed, spinning he took the boy on his back further and further into the open ocean.

[critter-of-the-day]

15th of September 2024: Shepherd’s Beaked Whale

Apologies for the blurry picture, but unfortunately this seems to be the best photo we have of Shepherd’s Beaked Whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) when not stranded. Non-specialists have reported them to be up to 7 metres long, but we do have confirmed lengths of up to 6.6 m [1].

They live in the Southern Hemisphere at latitudes of around 30°S to 50°S, meaning that the few times they have stranded have been in South America, e.g. in Argentina, and in Southern Australia [2]. Outside of this, it can be hard to do more research on them, as they are deep sea whales [3], and the latitudes they’re at are notorious for harbouring particularly stormy sea weather [1]. Thus there’s no surprise that for 15 years (between 2002 and 2017) there were no sightings of them underwater, though the latter did give us a video [4].

We do still know a bit about them based upon the stranded individuals. For one, they are unique among beaked whales for having a full set of teeth in both their upper and lower jaw (most only have one or two pairs in the lower jaw). One stomach content analysis also found that in addition to the cephalopods which are a common component of the diet of beaked whales, they also eat fish [5]. Their teeth have also been used to estimate the age of one individual stranded in Punta Quilla in Argentina to be 23 years [6].

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [Image] 

[namu-the-orca]

A bunch of beaked whales

I did mention I got to paint a lot of beaked whales, right? ;) After the bottlenose whales here are, well, the others. I thought it was nice to put them all together, really makes you appreciate the wonderful diversity within this big family (and it saves you from ‘a beaked whale a day’ for the next 1.5 weeks). There’s too many to all discuss individually but I have some favourites:

Shepherd’s beaked whale was a joy to paint as they are one of my favourites. Their markings are so beautiful, and they are also unique in being the only beaked whale to have a full set of teeth. For very long their colour pattern was unknown (and oft presumed to have this streaky pattern) until in 2006(!) their real colouration was formally described. They are a beautiful, elegant and unique looking species.

Sowerby’s beaked whale provided a similar ‘aha’ erlebnis for me. Often illustrated as a medium gray throughout (which is certainly fitting for the females) some interesting photographs of adult males showed a rather distinctive light blaze between their blowhole and dorsal fin. In some males it was very subtle, but others had almost as much contrast as a Layard’s beaked whale - I chose to illustrate something in the middle. Very interesting and something I hope will be the subject of further study. Males and females also have funny white lips.

Ramari’s beaked whale can’t be overlooked as it is the youngest member of the family: only described three months ago, in October 2021. Previously known as the southern form of the True’s beaked whale, analysis proved they were a species all of their own. Very happy to have painted this one too, as the mysterious southern True’s with their shining white peduncles always intrigued me.

And lastly, I can’t not mention Blainville’s beaked whale because take a closer look at that snout. Any whale whose mouth somehow ends up above their eyes is worthy of an extra look I think. And the Layard’s beaked whale because they have always been my number 1 favourite beaker.

[nephrosoupp]

Henlo I-if you have a moment, consider donating to the sea shepherd conservation society or the oceanic preservation society thank

https://seashepherd.org/support-us/

https://www.opsociety.org

[mindblowingscience]

Scientists working off the western coast of Mexico say they have found a previously unknown species of whale.

Three beaked whales were spotted last month by a team of scientists working with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society near the San Benito Islands, some 300 miles from the US border, according to a press release published Tuesday.

The team had set out to try to find out what kind of whales were making an unidentified acoustic signal previously recorded in the area.

Beaked whale experts working alongside Sea Shepherd's scientific department managed to take photographs and video recordings of the three whales, and also recorded their acoustic signals using an underwater microphone.

Continue Reading.

[purrfectly]

New beaked whale dropped

by Sea Shepherd vessel Martin Sheen 

[whaletalesorg]

In episode 22 of the #whaletalespodcast we discuss some recent new findings in the cetacean world: a new subspecies of Blue Whales in the Indian ocean, a potential new Beaked Whale species in the Gulf of Mexico and the newly described Rice's Whale also in the Gulf of Mexico! Take a listen to our episode to learn more about these discoveries! 🐳🐋🎧⠀ Photos:⠀ Blue Whale: Robert Baldwin Environment Society of Oman⠀ Beaked Whale: Simon Ager Sea Shepherd⠀ Rice's Whale Skull: Smithsonian⠀ #whaletales #whalepodcast #whales #storytelling #whalelove #whalestory #bluewhale #beakedwhale #newwhale #brydeswhale #baleen #cetaceans #newspecies #riceswhale https://www.instagram.com/p/CKzEapThvql/?igshid=88h1xqez995x

[lemonsharks]

In the AOS universe, Star Trek: The Voyage Home goes like this:

They go to the past to save some whales.

And return home to fine marine biologists have already solved the whale problem by discovering a NEW KIND OF WHALE. Just, oh hey new whale, found one. It was hanging out in the ocean. Why do we even have space exploration again?

Zachary Quinto looks into the camera like he's on the office

(because space is less terrifying than The Deep)

[violettesiren]

1.

Once in the woods snake came like a whip like a piece of a circle like black water flowing down the hill. “Watch me,” it whispered— then poured like black water through the field— then hurried down, like black water, into the mouse’s hole.

And out of this you might draw the thinnest of shining threads—

whirl it around and fling it into the air, fling it into the air— again and again it will land on the earth crimped and cursive, spelling only the heavy words, the heart-breaking words—

for, dear God, we also are down here in such darkness.

2.

It is easy to fall down on your knees when the shining rain begins to happen.

It is easy to be thankful for the bundles of wild roses ledged along the dune.

It is as easy as if you were yourself a flower in the field,  the rain tossing you and tossing you,

until you are that flower—  as torn as muddy as golden as that.

3.

The snake never shuts its eyes.

4.

I have lit candles.        (Though I am not ready, I am willing.) I have placed one word next to another to build something full of praise. I have admired the hummingbird, dazzling among the lilies. Also the tooth of the otter, the compost pile, the first star in the evening sky.        (Though I am not ready, I am simmering.)

5. 

And certainly and easily I can see how God might be one rose bud, one white feather in the heron’s enormous, slowly opening wing. It’s after that   it gets difficult. 6.

The snake never shuts its eyes. The mouse sits tight.

7.

The good shepherd of the fields, whoever he is, has so many wonderful and saucy tricks. I want to find him, I want to discover just one more trick.

Oh, nobody runs so hard as the doubters running over the hot fields,  crying out for faith,  looking for it in the high places and the low places,  looking for it everywhere,

oh, see how I run!

8.

The snake never shuts its eyes. The mouse sits tight in the beautiful field.

9. 

I went down all alone, to the black pond. Slow summer day. No one around. Not even a bird singing, not a wind awake, nothing.

Yet nothing could ever convince me   that I was alone. If God exists he isn’t just butter and good luck— he isn’t just the summer day the red rose,

he’s the snake he’s the mouse, he’s the hole in the ground,

for which thoroughness, if anything, I would adore him, if I could adore him.

* Adore him.

10.

The first streak of light in the darkness, the first bird to sing, the first whale to rise out of the black water, the first morning of the spring tide the first lupine geranium poppy first sweet corn, the first afternoon spent outdoors, after illness,

first child   speaking its first words

first peach on the tree first grapes first hand-holding     first kiss

first afternoon of snow flakes like salt tapping the leaves then the swirl then the soft clouds tumbling down

first road to the ocean, first smell of the ocean first white heron first abalone, first crab, iridescent in the seaweed first mountain first fern first egg with a tapping from inside

first rose red rose    first white rose    opening itself and no more than itself

and more than itself.

11.

The pickerel swims up from the pond from its roses of slow decay, and   looks at me   astonished

What is it I need to know?

The gypsy moths, still caterpillars, wrench themselves from the milky shreds of birth and set out on the long journey in the shining tree.

What is it I don’t know that I need to know?

12.

Think of me when you see the evening star. Think of me when you see the wren  the flowing root of the creek beneath him,  dark    silver    and cold

Remember me I am the one who told you he sings for happiness. I am the one who told you that the grass is also alive, and listening.

alleluiah alleluiah sighs the pale green moth   on the screen door,

alleluiah alleluiah the red tongues of the white swans shine out of their black beaks as they shout as their wings rise and fall

rise and fall

oh rise and fall

through the thickening flowers of the snow.

Evening Star by Mary Oliver

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from the story:

Sea Shepherd's research vessel the R/V Martin Sheen returned to Mexico's Guadalupe Island to continue its study of Cuvier's beaked whales, capturing never before seen drone footage of these rare and elusive cetaceans.

Guadalupe Island is a Mexican reserve famous for its large congregations of great white sharks between the months of August and December. However, according to Cardenas, "what most people don't know is that in addition to large numbers of sharks we can also find the rarely seen Cuvier's beaked whales here."

Cuvier's beaked whales are considered the most extreme mammal divers in the world, with the ability to dive down to almost 10,000 feet or 3000 meters—roughly the length of eight Empire State Building. They can stay under water for up to two hours and only need a few minutes of surface oxygen before going back down.

"Their exceptional diving ability makes them hard to study, in comparison to most whales which surface every 20 minutes or so," added Trickey.

Sightings of a mother and her calf also show scientists that Guadalupe could be a breeding ground for these whales. The discovery of such a large number of Cuvier's beaked whales around the island both last October and now in May suggests to scientists that this could be a resident population, an idea that is supported by several matches in the photo identification catalog of the species for this island.

[lord-dusk]

Jurassic Emblem-Chapter 8

Guess who came home?? :3

 Commander Anna, the general of Askr’s military commandment, had summoned the raptors and some of the other Heroes in the meeting room. She was discussing some very serious issues happening around Askr, most notably, the changes to the entire ecosystem done by what the scouts can only describe as “aberrant forms”. Anna was collecting herself, and she listed so far the aberrant forms identified:

Basilice.

Sobek and Gorgonorhea.

Henoka.

Styracostegas.

Emmatross.

One of the effects that Anna had said was already happening was the fact somewhere up in Nifl, the sun-god Helios was frozen solid by a “giant icicle-covered serpent.” Blue snarled. Unlike the medieval warriors she was with, Blue and her sisters knew that these aberrant forms were heinous-hybrids created by the controversial Henry Wu, and she needed to destroy them quickly. Her life was already fried by those red-eyed mangled-tooth fatherf**kers and she didn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate.

And coincidentally, outside the meeting room, Askr’s summoner and tactician Kiran shrieked out a macaw-style gasp. Lucina and the raptors rushed out.

And there, above the groveling,thirsty, pathetic form of Kiran, was a goddess in a pelagic-blue yukata, waving her shark-like crocodilian tail in patience like some Hoshidan deity. Blue didn’t had to blink her eyes to find out who that woman was.

It was the Island Goddess Ryukami, the mosasaurus who not only protected Nublar(before she swam out into the open sea), she was also the heroine that leapt out of her lagoon, pulled the Indominus rex into the water, and devoured her like a roast chicken.

.“Hunh. I was quite busy tearing apart a Chinese shark-finning vessel and I was just about to swallow the last fisherman when you pulled me to this strange dimension,” Ryukami said. “Tell me, human. What reason do you have for interrupting my meal?”

Kiran formed his words meekly. “P-please....Please...H-help me l-land....Vel-velouria and....and....Leanne....”.

Ryukami ignored him. She fixed her gaze on Blue, Lucina, Echo, Delta, and Charlie.

“Hmm. Oh. Hello, little lizards.” the crocodilian whale greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you girls. Especially to you, blue one-” she paused. “Wait, wasn’t there only one raptor left on Nublar? Particularly a charcoal one with a blue stripe? 

Blue smiled.”It’s okay Ryu. I think I can explain things along-”

“Oh wow! It’s Ryukami from the Mosasaurus Feeding Show! Look at those sharp teeth of yours! Can i have your autograph?”

For the first time in 80 million years, a velociraptor has tackled a mosasaur. Specifically, Charlie had sprung unto Ryukami, face pressed against the goddess’s chest, and shaking her hands.

“Well, dear child, do you have anything I can sign my name on?”

Charlie brought out her Nintendo Switch. “Sure! You can sign  on the back!”

                                          *********

 When the meeting had ended and the raptors explain the situation to Ryukami, the mosasaur agreed to ferry them to the icy isle of Nifl. But they were some hurdles to overcome.

First was Teba and Warbler. After the incident in which the two criminals attempted to run-off with the frozen embryos, they were thrown in the cellar awaiting judgement. Lucina and Blue had some very powerful urges to mangle the already injured mercenaries, but Anna wouldn’t allow it presently and declared that Teba and Warbler shall not be executed until they scrutinize the morals of the formers’ agenda. Besides, no one exactly knew how to deal with dilophosaur that spat venom out of its beak and an amphibian with katana-sharp dorsal spines. And as such, as much they’d like to accompany Blue and Lucina on their mission, Echo, Delta, and Charlie decided to stay watch and monitor the samurai and the drunk dilo.

“If they pull something I’m going to tear them apart bit by bloody, bony bit!” Echo cracked her claws in anticipation.

“When Askr finds out what these belligerent iguanas are really up to, then yes.” Delta replied.

“Um, I understand I am in no position to ask, but may I have some water?” Teba requested from within the cell. Warbler lay at the back corner, dozing off.

“You just answered your own question Pouter-Flounder,” Charlie answered back. “it’s called drinking pee.”

And second, as much of a kind reptile Ryukami was, a deity didn’t grant a wish for free. If you wanted a god to grant your wishes you had to offer up a payment.

And by payment, I mean a person or several to sacrifice to the mosasaur.

Initially, Lucina tried to process everything down. Sacrificing people to the dragon-gods can’t be good, she thought, until she considered that in order to obtain the “Good Ending” in Awakening, the Shepherds chopped up and raped, and devoured every last denizen in Plegia. After all, humans, both good and bad, loved to end chaos by BRINGING FORTH chaos. A negative factor multiplied by a negative factor always lead to a positive. Therefore, Lucina decided to sacrifice Henry and Tharja, as well as male Robin to Ryukami.

“Aaaaaaaah, this is the happiest day of my life!” Henry chirped as the mosasaurus crunched downed on his ribs and slurped up his intestines like sausage pasta.

As an added bonus, Ryukami had blessed both Lucina and Blue with water-magic, which not only increased their vitality and endurance, it also allowed them to convert the surrounding water into atmospheric air in case shit happens and the two raptors find themselves 30 meters below the surface.

“The trip to Nifl will take about a two or three days by me so you ought to be thankful for my gifts,” Ryukami said. “Now, is everyone ready?”

                                 ********

 The night sky was a deep-blue color, a gorgeous complement to the turquoise waters. The air was cool and kind to the skin, which would have been perfect for relaxation.

But there was no time for relaxation. For the past several days(or lacking thereof) there was no sunlight. As Helios the sun-god was turned into a kakigori, an icy cold night was spreading from Nifl to Askr, placing photosynthetic activity in jeopardy.

Blue and Lucina were perched on Ryukami’s head and hand, respectively. When asked why she couldn’t have simply used her Dragonstone to morph into her crocodilian-whale form, Ryukami claimed she had left it at the bottom of Dragon’s Reef.

Even gods have accidents, I suppose, Blue thought.

Lucina broke the silence. “Hey Sole Survivor, have you killed your own parent?”

Blue perked her head.”......Why do you ask?”

“I know I had to kill my previous mother in order to save my father and country. What about you?”

“That’s a very morbid question Future Witness. Were you part of the tiger-raptor tribe on Site B? Did you cannibalize your own sibling as well? To answer your question though, I did not. But that’s not to say I didn’t put Papa and his friends’ lives in danger multiple times.”

“I nearly killed my father as well-in fact, the world where I’m from, I had to detonate my re-animated father like the walking flesh-grenade he was.”

“You know, if I died, my ghost would be more than happy to tell my daughters to eat my body,” Ryukami joined in. “There will be times when children will literally want a part of their parents-at least physically.”

“Well, my ex-mother’s flesh tasted rather like lobster and centipede mixed with sperm-covered pants,” Lucina said.

“Okay Future Witness, can we talk about something else? We already had a chapter dedicated to your hobbies.” Blue remarked.

“Alright,” Lucina answered. “I’ve always wanted to ask you this anyway. What is your papa like? I’ll take note if there is a slight,slight,slight chance I’ll meet him.”

“A nice guy. A bit of a jerk who only goes by his own rules, drinks beer, and lives in the most beautiful shack on the outskirts of the jungle. But as someone who’s raised me and my sisters ever since we were hatchlings,he is the best person in my entire world, so much so I’ll slice up security guards for him.”

“I see.”

Just then Ryukami had stopped at a large ice-floe. “We’re here.” Ryukami announced.

[chained-to-the-mirror]

The Animalock Masterpost

So, here’s a list of all the Animalock drawings I’ve done. There are so many! And more still to come. I’ll try to update this every now and then.

Siamese and ginger cat

Red Irish setter and corgi

Otter and hedgehog

Bunnies

Porgs

Mice

Penguins

Goats

Elephants

Geese

Horse and pony

Foxes

Red pandas

Honey badgers

Bees

Bats

Owls

Deer

Raccoons

Wolf and black jaguar

Monkey and lemur

Geckos

Meerkats

Guinea pigs

Eagles

Llama and alpaca

Frogs

Lambs

Fennec foxes

Sparrow and hummingbird

Reindeer

Manx cats

Koalas

Squirrels

Piglets

Dolphins

Assassin bugs, Gila monsters, midwife toads, Komodo dragons, Epaulette sharks and naked mole rats

Giraffes

Doves

Afghan hound and Jack Russell terrier

Capybaras

Chipmunks

Skunks

Goldfish

Minks

Sloths

Hippos

Pandas

Ducks

Dik-diks

Humpback whale and sperm whale

Puffins

Pelicans

Seahorses

Cavalier King Charles spaniels

Pronghorns

Numbats

Sharks

Kinkajous

Goshawk and peregrine

Ferrets

Unicorns

Kangaroos

Seals

Bloodhound and Yorkie

Tortoises

Tigers

Okapis

Lions

Cats (again)

Mandarin ducks

Polar bears

Bears

Snails

Rats

Octopodes

Pikas

Pudus

Peacock and pheasant

Donkeys

Parakeets

Platypuses

Pugs

Orcas

Clownfish

Butterfly and moth

Rottweiler and bullmastiff

Flamingos

Earthworms

African wild dogs

Sand cats

Bluebirds

Parrots

Indian elephants 

Beavers

Weasels

Wagtails

Wolverines

Skylarks

Hedgehogs (Sherlock is also a hedgehog)

Rhinos

Turkey vultures

Bushdogs

Lynxes

Dinosaurs

Common lizards

Impalas

Arctic foxes

Fossa

Blackbirds

Quokkas

Possums

Quails

Roedeer

Chinchillas

Zebra duikers

Black rain frogs

Groundhogs

Jackrabbits

Storks

Malayan tapirs

Ravens

Armadillos

Salamanders

Camels

Otters (John is also an otter)

Opisthotheuthis adorabilis

Crows

Wallabies

Marmots

Zebras

Cassowaries

Cats (again and again)

Leopard ferrets

Honey bees

Saimaa ringed seals

Long neck turtles

Bobcat and house cat

Banded mongeese

Dormice

Jackalopes

Toucans

Pink fairy armadillos

Walruses

Albino puppies

Mountain goats

Ducklings

Fox cubs

Deer and bunny

Baby penguins

Jackals

Caterpillars

Bunnies

Maras

Blue footed boobies

Korean crow-tits

Chinese water deer

Baby wild boars

Baby monkeys

Ladybugs

Flying squirrels

Woodpeckers

Emus

Seagulls

Egyptian maus

Coyotes

Highland cows

Ocelots

Sandpipers

Ball pythons

Rainbow trouts

Baby owls

Swift foxes

Hummingbirds (John is also a hummingbird)

Himalayan marmots (again)

Starfish

Ibex

Axolotls

Black melanistic barn owls

Miniature dachshunds

Greek shepherd dogs

Golden pheasants

Caracals

Kittens (again?)

Mongolian wild horses

Pygmy jerboas

Aardwolf pups

Piglets (again)

African pygmy goats

Manatees

Stork-beaked kingfishers

Baby bisons

Kakapos

Pied tamarins

Puppies (possibly golden retrievers)

Springhares

Mice (again)

Fawns

Chicks

Corsac foxes

Baby jacanas

Fennec fox pups

Muskrats

Kowaris

Leatherback turtles

Glass frogs

Borzoi and Staffordshire bull terrier

Norway lemmings

Llamas

Manatees (again)

Werewolves (worgen)

Sea lion pups

Giant panda cubs

Lion cubs

Vervet monkeys

Kittens (again)

Shiba Inu puppies

Eurasian jackdaws

Pink robins

Bunnies (again!)

Little blue penguins

Suffolk sheep

Polar bear cubs

Owl Sherlock and fox cub John

Baby meerkats

African penguins

French bulldog puppies

Cockatoos

Sun bears

Bunnies (YET AGAIN)

Scottish folds

Baby red pandas

Seal cubs

Red squirrels

Kittens (again!)

Baby capybaras

Jaguars

More puppies

Roosters

Cygnets

Donkeys (again)

Kittens (YET AGAIN)

Fruit bats

Puppy Sherlock and bunny John

Piping plover chicks

Bunny Sherlock and puppy John

Grasshoppers

More to come. I’m very grateful to anyone who has prompted me, I’m really enjoying myself :)

My Patreon / My Ko-fi / Animalock books / Animalock on Redbubble / Commissions

[dolatv]

New whale species discovered in Mexico

New whale species discovered in Mexico

Three beaked whales were spotted last month by a team of scientists working with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society near the San Benito Islands, some 300 miles from the US border, according to a press release published Tuesday. The team had set out to try to find out what kind of whales were making an unidentified acoustic signal previously recorded in the area. Beaked whale experts working…

[indianflash123]

New whale species surfaces

New whale species surfaces

Beaked whales are least known groups of mammals in the world as they mostly prefer deep sea and spend large part of their time thousands of metres below the waves. There is great news with the scientists tracing a new species of beaked whale near San Benito Islands off Mexico’s Pacific coast. The researchers on board a Sea Shepherd vessel claimed that the species that they came across differed…