The giants of the ocean

BY IKE OGALA

Whales and sharks are the biggest and some of the deadliest and fastest ocean predators. Here we have: THE GIANTS OF THE OCEANS. Whales are the only confirmed mammals in the ocean but sharks are very like mammals and a few people wonder if sharks are actually mammals. They are very alike.

Some whales filter food from the ocean and so do some sharks although this is much more common in the whale world. Some whales have teeth and attack prey and so do some sharks although this is much more common in the shark world.

Whales are the biggest sea animals (and all animals) and are closely followed by Sharks ( the 2nd biggest of all animals). The deadliest of these is the killer whale. It eats just about anything you think is never eaten. Dolphins, (about the size of an adult) one of the smallest whales and Great White Sharks are some of the animals that attack sardine fish while on their group migration which gives way for predators like killer whales to eat them. The dolphins trap the fish in a bait ball and then continually go into the baitball and pick out some fish to eat while allowing the sharks get some sardines too.

While the sharks and dolphins are focusing on the sardines giving the orcas (or killer whales) a chance to come close enough to strike while the rest focus on the sardines and leaving the shark or dolphin without any help. Meanwhile, hammerhead Sharks are busy digesting stingrays and having a lot easier times digesting angel sharks. Whale sharks a lot like blue whales filter food from the water and some sharks even sunbathe like the sunbathing sharks. Sharks sometimes look like rays and some even have hammer shaped heads.

Ogala can be reached via ikeogeeke@gmail.com