Extremely rare footage of a whale fall in deep, deep sea.
From YT:
Footage of the decomposition of a large whale carcass in the deep sea. Notice the successional changes in the community that is supported by this massive input of nutrients.
From WIKI:
Whale fall is the term used for a whale carcass that has fallen to the ocean floor.[1] Whale falls were first observed in the 1980s, with the advent of deep-sea robotic exploration.[2]
When a whale dies in shallow water, its carcass is typically devoured by scavengers over a relatively short period of time—within several months. However, in deeper water (depths of 2,000 m/6,600 ft or greater), fewer scavenger species exist, and the carcass can provide sustenance for a complex localized ecosystem over periods of decades.[3]
Some of the organisms that have been observed at whale falls are squat lobsters, Osedax (bone-eating worms), crabs, sea cucumbers, octopuses, clams, and even deep-sea sleeper sharks. Whale falls are often inhabited by large colonies of tubeworms. Over 30 previously unknown species have been discovered at whale falls.[citation needed]
A whale fall was first observed by marine biologists in 1987, discovered accidentally by the submersible Alvin. Whale falls have since been found by other scientists, and by military submarines. They can be found by using side-scan sonar to examine the ocean floor for large aggregations of matter.
Some scientists speculate that certain deep-sea species may use whale falls as stepping-stones to extend their range and colonize other ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Given that whale deaths occur at locations that are largely random, carcasses are believed to exist at many locations on the seabed, like oases in the nutrient-poor abyssal plain, with average spacings estimated at 25 km (16 mi). Marine biologists sometimes transport dead whales that have washed up on coastlines, towing them offshore to create a whale fall at a known location that can then be studied over a long period of time.
Similar ecosystems exist when other large volumes of nutrient-rich material fall to the sea floor. Sunken beds of kelp create kelp falls, and large trees can sink to create wood falls.
21 Comments
ThrobbinAwesome sift Griefer. I'd never even heard of whale falls before.
ponceleonRemind me to not be buried at sea.
EndAllIncredible! Nothing goes to waste in nature! And not me, ponce - If I could have it my way, my burial process would involve being floated out to sea on a wooden raft, and then someone would shoot a flaming arrow into my corpse as I floated away... that's probably from a movie, can't remember which; but an awesome way to go about it.
lv_hunterThe movie 13th warrior, or anything involving vikings.
ThrobbinI want my corpse to be inserted into the CERN observation lab and bombarded with all kinds of particles at high speed. Anything that is discovered as a result would be named after me; think "The Throbbiton".
notarobot^Spam-bot?
griefer_queaferWHO BANNED HER??!!! I think kate44 could have been our first to benefit from videosift's new charitable arm.
quantumushroomWHALE FAIL BEGETS WHALE FALL. THAT IS ALL.
mxxconso this is security camera footage from twitter's datacenter?
ElJardinero"carcasses are believed to exist at many locations on the seabed"
hahaha.. where else?
good sift btw
spoco2I think it's a pity they didn't visit is more regularly. Really, between the first and the second you've got 'those that feed on flesh' vs 'those that don't'
Would have been good to see it in weekly or at least monthly increments. Oh sure, there's that whole 'cost' thing to be concerned with... bah and humbug!
Mazesays...I'm pretty sure I just saw a shark with a frickin' laser beam attached to it's head.
potchi79Love the little shark at 0:09 trying to take a ginormous bite like it's only gonna get one chance. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM
rich_magnetMuch of this, or very similar, footage was in the Blue Planet series. It looked like a much better transfer in Blue Planet.
longdeAwesome sift.
radxBetter not tell Dr. Zoidberg about it.
Lolthiensays...>> ^rich_magnet:
Much of this, or very similar, footage was in the Blue Planet series. It looked like a much better transfer in Blue Planet.
I came here to say the same thing... and Blue Planet is available to watch on Netflix on Demand... so check it out nature hippies!!
thumpa28When this was shown on David Attenboroughs prog they said the whale had beached, been town out and dropped into deep water. Interesting vid though.
Don_Juansays...Did anyone else see that incredible chick in the Humvee parked amoung the cluster of yellow worms? Sushi??
EDD*water
siftbotAdding video to channels (Water) - requested by EDD.
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