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Made in gb
[DCM]
Et In Arcadia Ego





Canterbury

http://www.popsci.com/humpback-whales-are-organizing?src=SOC&dom=tw#page-2


Humpback whales are organizing in huge numbers, and no one knows why
It flies in the face of typical humpback behavior

The world is ending and only the whales know. At least, that’s one explanation. Humpback whales are normally pretty solitary—scientists used to call groups of 10 to 20 “large.” Now they’re congregating in groups of 20 to 200 off the coast of South Africa. Something is definitely going on here, but so far experts are stumped.
In fact, Humpback whales aren't supposed to be hanging out in that region in the first place. Humpbacks migrate up to tropical waters to breed, but they typically feed down south in the icy waters of Antarctica this time of year. Yet scientific expeditions keep seeing these super-pods (not to be confused with super PACs, which are equally giant but much more dangerous), which were finally compiled and published at the beginning of March in the journal PLOSone. The researchers have a few ideas about why the humpbacks are organizing, but no clear answers yet. So far the consensus seems to be: this is pretty freakin’ weird.
Most of the whales seem to be young, begging the question of whether the western coast of South Africa is like the humpback version of the local mall for tween whales. They’re just looking for a fishy Orange Julius, or perhaps a krill-based Panda Express to hang out at on a Saturday afternoon. Because it’s not like 200 whales—each weighing about 65,000 pounds—can feed just anywhere.
Congregations of whales usually indicate parts of the ocean that are especially productive. There has to be a dense concentration of prey to support that many humpbacks. And yes, the word “prey” might sound strange for a species known for singing songs and being friendly to other mammals. Lest we forget, humpback whales do hunt for their food. They’re not vegetarians. They eat everything from krill to plankton to small fish, regardless of whether they speak whale. They even have a specialized way of hunting where they gang up on schools of fish to try to eat them all at once. It’s called bubble net feeding. The humpbacks divide up, some swirling around a group of fish and some blowing air, such that the circling whales can drive their victims into a net made of bubbles. This confuses the fish, trapping them inside, until one whale sounds the call and they all rush in, mouths agape, swimming upwards through the teeming mass of fish.
Since they spend a lot of time alone, humpbacks can perform a similar maneuver on their own. And some humpbacks don’t even know how to bubble net feed. It’s not intrinsic—it’s a learned behavior. Some pods know how to do it and some don’t. Dolphins have a similar hunting pattern where they squeeze groups of fish into a small area, then take turns darting through to feed. And hey, humpbacks have been known to swim around and interact with bottlenose dolphins, so maybe there’s some big information exchange going on in the seas that we’re unaware of.

These enormous whale congregations are clearly for feeding, at least in part, but no one is really sure why there are so many of them. It seems to be a recent phenomenon unique to the last five years or so, so it could be that burgeoning whale populations are enabling these teeming masses yearning to breath free. At one point about 90 percent of the world’s humpbacks had been hunted down, but they've been on the rise since becoming a protected species in 1996. Maybe humpbacks were always this social, and there just weren’t enough of them for us to notice.
Or maybe they just weren’t doing it in areas where we could see them. If hundreds of whales were gathering smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we probably wouldn't see or hear them (even though their songs can be heard from 20 miles away). And if a whale sings in the ocean and there’s no one there to hear it, it definitely still made a sound.
Perhaps they’re trying to tell us something, Like the dolphins who do a double-backward somersault through a hoop while whistling the Star Spangled Banner, the whales may be sending us a message that we’re misinterpreting as an adorably sophisticated trick. The oceans are warming, the seas are rising, and maybe—just maybe—the whales have had enough. They’ve gathered as many young humpbacks as possible to come together and send one final message: so long, and thanks for all the krill. Or maybe they're talking to a giant space probe. Who knows.



Please be on the look out for strangely garbed people talking about "nuclear wessels" and similar.

The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
 
   
Made in us
5th God of Chaos! (Yea'rly!)




The Great State of Texas

If the dolphins disappear I'm firing the Mossberg at any giant alien vessels that may appear, and without warning.

Also has anyone checked the local galactic planning office in the last 20 years?

-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Et In Arcadia Ego





Canterbury

I'm hoping what's actually going to happen is that the Kraken will awaken but the whales will at last fulfill their destiny and defeat it in an epic combat forcing it back to the dark dimensions for another 999,999 years.

but the way the world is going it'll actually turn out to be a mass suicide attempt or something.


Or they're unionising.

The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
 
   
Made in us
Rotting Sorcerer of Nurgle






The Dog-house

 Frazzled wrote:
If the dolphins disappear I'm firing the Mossberg at any giant alien vessels that may appear, and without warning.

Also has anyone checked the local galactic planning office in the last 20 years?


If I didn't already know you were from Texas... Nevermind everyone knows you are from Texas.

Maybe the whales are planning an armed take over of South Africa. In ten years it won't be the Somalian pirates everyone complains about, but humpback whales demanding that they are your captain, now.

H.B.M.C.- The end hath come! From now on armies will only consist of Astorath, Land Speeder Storms and Soul Grinders!
War Kitten- Vanden, you just taunted the Dank Lord Ezra. Prepare for seven years of fighting reality...
koooaei- Emperor: I envy your nipplehorns. <Magnus goes red. Permanently>
Neronoxx- If our Dreadnought doesn't have sick scuplted abs, we riot.
Frazzled- I don't generally call anyone by a term other than "sir" "maam" "youn g lady" "young man" or " HEY bag!"
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mrhappyface- "They're more what you'd call guidlines than actual rules" - Captain Roboute Barbosa
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Made in us
Androgynous Daemon Prince of Slaanesh





Norwalk, Connecticut


Pretty sure Megalodon is showing himself again and the whales are panicking. May everything in the ocean fear the rightful king!!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/03/16 23:22:34


Reality is a nice place to visit, but I'd hate to live there.

Manchu wrote:I'm a Catholic. We eat our God.


Due to work, I can usually only ship any sales or trades out on Saturday morning. Please trade/purchase with this in mind.  
   
Made in gb
Keeper of the Holy Orb of Antioch





avoiding the lorax on Crion

It could be we are just seeing groups in numbers they used to gather in?

And numbers are mercyfully recovering. ?

Sgt. Vanden - OOC Hey, that was your doing. I didn't choose to fly in the "Dongerprise'.

"May the odds be ever in your favour"

Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
I have no clue how Dakka's moderation work. I expect it involves throwing a lot of d100 and looking at many random tables.

FudgeDumper - It could be that you are just so uncomfortable with the idea of your chapters primarch having his way with a docile tyranid spore cyst, that you must deny they have any feelings at all.  
   
Made in us
Mutilatin' Mad Dok





They are clearly getting together to plan out how to conquer the world.

Warboss of da Blood Vipers!! We'z gonna crush ya good!!
ArchMagos Prime of Xenarite Exploratory Fleet Omega VIII
Sisters of the Remorseless Dawn- 4000pts
My Ork Errata: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/664333.page
My Ork-Curion: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/680784.page#8470738 
   
Made in us
Last Remaining Whole C'Tan






Pleasant Valley, Iowa

 Frazzled wrote:
Also has anyone checked the local galactic planning office in the last 20 years?


Of all the people I thought would make this reference...

 lord_blackfang wrote:
Respect to the guy who subscribed just to post a massive ASCII dong in the chat and immediately get banned.

 Flinty wrote:
The benefit of slate is that its.actually a.rock with rock like properties. The downside is that it's a rock
 
   
Made in gb
Keeper of the Holy Orb of Antioch





avoiding the lorax on Crion

 Ouze wrote:
 Frazzled wrote:
Also has anyone checked the local galactic planning office in the last 20 years?


Of all the people I thought would make this reference...


Great refrence. Please have this towel.

Sgt. Vanden - OOC Hey, that was your doing. I didn't choose to fly in the "Dongerprise'.

"May the odds be ever in your favour"

Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
I have no clue how Dakka's moderation work. I expect it involves throwing a lot of d100 and looking at many random tables.

FudgeDumper - It could be that you are just so uncomfortable with the idea of your chapters primarch having his way with a docile tyranid spore cyst, that you must deny they have any feelings at all.  
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Maybe they're just getting together to discuss how overrated Hitchiker's Guide is?


Anyway, I'm pretty sure this is one of those ominous warning signs that will look really clear to the survivors in hindsight.

   
Made in us
5th God of Chaos! (Yea'rly!)




The Great State of Texas

 jhe90 wrote:
It could be we are just seeing groups in numbers they used to gather in?

And numbers are mercyfully recovering. ?


Its Aquaman!

-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

So, where is the "Aliens Guy" when we need his insight!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/03/17 14:13:00


Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
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Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

 Easy E wrote:
So, where is the "Aliens Guy" when we need his insight!



The plot thickens.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
 Easy E wrote:
So, where is the "Aliens Guy" when we need his insight!



The plot thickens.


Oh...my....G**! The whales have all ready gotten to him!

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
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