Blue ocean is home to a variety of giant creatures like spider crab, blue whale and Humboldt squid that are rarely seen in the real life. Amazingly, some brave divers and photographers dare to swim under very deep water approaching the fish and taking their pictures.
A giant spider crab, also called Macrocheira kaemferi, is irradiated as if it bathed in moonlight by a diver’s lamp in Japan’s Izu Oceanic Park. The creature can be protected from some big predators thanks to its hard exoskeleton and grow to ten feet (three meters) wide. Furthermore, it is able to disappear beneath the sponges and other marine life under deeper cover.
Giant spider crab is photographed by David Doubilet
A blue whale, also known as Balaenoptera musculus, slices through the waters of California's Channel Islands. The largest blue whale was reportedly nearly 110 feet (33.5 meters) long and 418,000 pounds (190,000 kilograms), which makes members of this species the largest animals on Earth. The blue whale has even no natural predators.
Blue whale is photographed by Wolcott Henry
A Humboldt squid, also called Dosidicus gigas or jumbo squid, is posed near a diver in Mexico’s Gulf of California. The creatures often travel in large schools and are rather greedy, even they sometimes attack divers.
Humboldt squid and a diver are photographed by Brian Skerry
A giant clam, or Tridacna gigas, in the Marshall Islands’ Bikini Atoll is spotted anchored to a coral reef by some divers. During the day, the clam’s fleshy mantle, which consists of green algae, spreads over its open shell to take in sunlight.
Giant clam and divers are photographed by Bill Curtsinger
A blue whale calf (Balaenoptera musculus), which blends in with its ocean environment, appears like a submarine off the Sri Lanka’s coast. The creature might be attacked and killed by large whales and sharks because it is only 45 feet (14 meters) long.
Young blue whale is photographed by Flip Nicklin
A giant clam in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia is captured exposing its mantle and inhalant siphon. While giant clams have to swim and feed in the water column in their larval period, they permanently affix themselves to surfaces such as sand or coral reef rubble during their adulthood.
Giant clam and a diver are photographed by Gordon Gahan
An Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) which features a silvery magnificence, swims past a diver in Japan's Tokyo Sea Life Park. The belly meat of this species is regarded as the world’s finest sushi, which leaves the giant bluefin population at risk of collapse due to over-fishing. Each fish can be easily purchased for tens of thousands of dollars on the market.
Bluefin tuna and a diver are photographed by John Anderson
Diver Andre Hartman can come close a great white shark, also called Carcharodon carcharias, in Gansbaai, South Africa after he lures it with chum. Although the creature occasionally attacks human beings, it is believed by shark scientists to approach people more out of curiosity than predation.
Great white shark and a diver are photographed by David Doubilet
Related links:
Swimming With White Sharks in Mexico’s Coast
