Creatures of the SeaMythology of the Ocean

Giant Sea AnimalsTransparent Aquatic Life

Protect our Seas

Created by: Deborah Lawrence

Mermaid Mythology

• Enchant sailors with singing and music, distracting them from their work often causing fatal accidents

Mermaids:

• Various cultures have similar figures

• Feared by sailors because they are considered a sign of bad luck

Manatee and Dugongs often mistaken for mermaids prior to mid 19th century

Japanese fishermen crafted mermaids for sideshow carnivals by stitching the

upper bodies of monkeys onto the bodies of fish

18th and 19th c. Edo Japan

Giant Squid MythologyCalled Kraken

Thought to attack

ships and eat sailors wholePart Octopus, Crab, Squid, and Cuttlefish

• Number of sightings (especially in 18th & 19th centuries)

What makes sea serpent sightings different from other mysterious creatures?

Mythology of Sea Serpents

• Sightings have been made by multiple people at once for sustained periods of time

Modern Giants of the Sea

Squid

Sharks

Whales

Jellyfish

Sharks

Sense a drop of blood from 2.5 miles away Can go up to at least 6 weeks without

feeding

The Notorious Great White

The largest meat-eating shark, growing up to 21 feet long

Great White Sharks:

Responsible for few human fatalities and usually do not target humans as prey

Sharks attack surfers because their silhouettes look like seals

Man-Eaters?

Many attacks occur in waters with low visibility, or when the shark's senses are impaired

the Whale Shark

• Grows up to 50 ft long

• Eats plankton, crustaceans and small fish

The Largest Shark:

Whales The loudest animals in the world

– their underwater sounds can travel great distances

Whales are mammals, not fish

Click on whale for video

Blue Whales Often 100 ft in length, blue

whales are the largest animals that have ever lived on earth – they are even larger than dinosaurs!

Giant Squids:

The world’s largest invertebrates… suspected to reach up to 60 ft in length! Giant Squid captured for the 1st time in 2006

24-ft long Died from injuries sustained during the

capture

Giant Jellyfish Bodies are

made up of 95% water, they have no bones or cartilage, no heart or blood, and no brain

Transparent Marine LifeTransparency is an important method of

camouflage Can also be a means of predatory animals

tricking others

Transparent Salpa Aspera

Can multiply into swarms under the right conditions

The brown spot is the salp's stomach

Transparent Siphonophores

Are extremely fragile and can break apart in nets or by mere illumination

Transparent Ctenophore

Even if half of the creature is destroyed, often the remaining half can rebuild itself

Capable of regeneration

Habitat destruction is caused by:

Destructive fishing activity

Coastal real estate development

Pollution

Dredging ship channels

Save my home

Protect Our Seas

5 Simple ways to Preserve the Ocean:

1. Stop eating seafood. … OR … Learn how to practice sustainability – When dining or shopping for fish carry a sustainable seafood wallet guide available from www.blueocean.org

2. Vote. Vote for candidates who support marine conservation

3. Do not pollute. Keep beaches clean and use environmentally friendly cleaning agents

4. Shop smartly. Don’t purchase items that exploit marine resources unnecessarily

5. Teach children to respect nature and the environment

For more information visit:

http://www.marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/local.asp

Protect Our Seas