WHAT DOES THE OCEAN SOUND LIKE?

“Did you know that dolphins talk?”
“I did, but I don’t know what they say.”
“They talk of trading ships and cargo,
Of seas and oceans far away,
Of where to find the finest fish,
And how much you should pay!”

HOW MUCH WATER IS IN YOU?

ASSEMBLE THE ANIMAL

Displayed here are various marine creatures. Each group possesses its own distinct swimming style.

Marine mammals swim by leveraging their powerful back muscles. Their horizontal tail flukes move up and down – acting just like swim fins underwater.

Fish propel themselves using their tails and their entire bodies, flexing from side to side, while their fins act as rudders for precise steering.

Cephalopods (such as squids and octopuses) utilize jet propulsion: they draw water into their mantle cavity and forcefully expel it outward, driving themselves forward.

What do they all have in common? They all share a streamlined body shape! The smoother the body, the easier it is to slice through the water. This is why they are all classified as nekton – the collective scientific term for actively swimming ocean dwellers capable of navigating independently over vast distances.

THE HEIGHT CHART

Baleen plate of a Bowhead Whale

Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758

Right Whales – Family Balaenidae

The bowhead whale possesses the largest mouth in the animal kingdom, housing up to 400 baleen plates on each side, with some reaching up to 4.5 meters in length.

Despite its monumental size, the whale does not hunt large prey. Instead, it feeds on microscopic planktonic organisms, filtering them directly through the fringed edges of its baleen.

TOUCH THE OCEAN