8 of the World’s Largest Sea Creatures1

By Aydrea Walden, Dec 29, 2011 in Offbeat

In the vast expanses of the oceans lie some very big animals. Thanks to a condition called “deep sea gigantism,” or abyssal gigantism, animals that live in deep waters are often many, many times larger than their counterparts that live in shallower seas. Because they live in remote areas of the sea, it’s unusual to see these creatures. But, if you’re an avid diver like adventure writer and photographer Ty Sawyer of the travel series Another Shade of Blue, you’re likely to get a glimpse of some of these rare creatures… and hopefully live to tell about it.

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For every adrenaline junkie that aims to climb Mount Everest, there is a deep sea fisherman who seeks out the Colossal Squid and its metal chomping beak. Here are eight of the world’s largest sea creatures and – if you’re as brave (read: crazy) as Ty – how to catch them.

Blue Whale

These giants of the deep are the largest animals ever known to have lived – outweighing what scientists believe to be the largest dinosaurs. Thanks to a diet of krill, blue whales can grow more than 100 feet long and weigh more than 180 metric tons. At birth, they weigh as much as full grown hippopotami. Their tongues alone weigh more than 2 metric tons, and their mouths can hold up to 90 metric tons of food. Interestingly, their throats are so comparatively small they cannot swallow a mouthful larger than a beach ball.

Because of their size and speed, almost nothing can kill a blue whale, and they have no natural predators. Humans, however, have managed to create harpoons large and powerful enough to kill these creatures – the use of which became illegal in 1966 when the International Whaling Commission banned blue whale hunting.

Colossal Squid

At lengths of up to 46 feet, the colossal squid is the world’s largest known invertebrate. But just because it’s spineless, that doesn’t mean it can’t do some real damage. This squid’s lengthy tentacles are lined with teeth-filled suckers and sharp, swiveling hooks.

Since a squid can cut through steel with its beak, trying to catch one is a tricky proposition. They also live in very deep, very cold waters. Luckily, they do like to eat and can be lured closer to the surface with tasty snacks like Antarctic cod.

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Giant Isopod

While not the biggest animal in the world, this creature is definitely much bigger than you’d ever like a beetle to be. They look like pill bugs – if pill bugs were more than a foot long and weighed 2 pounds. They have large, unmoving compound eyes with 4,000 facets in each and are thought to have remained unchanged for the last 130 million years.

Giant isopods are not typically fished. This is not just because they are terrifying but because they are hard to catch. They live at depths of more than 500 feet in icy cold waters where they scavenge for food and feast on the carcasses of other dead marine life. If you are looking to get your hands on one, trawling with nets has proven more successful than using baited traps.

Whale Shark

At more than 40 feet long and tipping the scales at just over 10 tons, the whale shark is bigger than a bus and is the biggest shark in the sea. Despite the fact that they feed by swimming with their mouths gaped open and swallowing most anything that flows in, these sharks are not aggressive and are not considered dangerous. Divers have even found them playful and say the sharks have let them hitch rides on their dorsal fins.

Because they are so friendly and often let humans swim up and touch them, these sharks can be relatively easy to trap and catch in the tropical and sub-tropical waters where they live.

Beluga/European Sturgeon

The largest example of this very large fish weighed more than 3,400 pounds and was 24 feet long. These fish spend time in brackish sea water and fresh river water. While their meat is not generally eaten, their eggs, in the form of Beluga caviar, are considered a worldwide delicacy.

Found primarily in the Caspian and Black Seas, Beluga are generally raised in hatcheries or caught for consumption in trawls.

Oarfish

Slithery and sneaky, the ribbon-shaped oarfish is rarely seen. When it is, it is impressive. At more than 50 feet long, 600 pounds heavy, and with a penchant for lurking near the surface of sea waters when in distress, many believe that oarfish might be the reason behind sea serpent tales of old.

The best time to catch oarfish is to wait until they are searching for food, since normally they live between depths of 600 and 3,000 feet.

Portuguese Man o’ War

The Man o’ War is like an iceberg – a violently painful iceberg. While only about a foot and a half of this creature sits on the surface of the water, up to 165 feet of stinging tentacles can be hidden underneath.

The Portuguese Man o’ War can typically be found in tropical and subtropical open oceans. There’s no great reason to want to catch one of these guys, but if you do, a net and metal bucket will help protect you from its venom.

Giant Clams

The largest mollusks in the world make their homes by affixing themselves to underwater sand or the remains of coral reefs. Primarily found in the Philippines, giant clams can grow up to four feet long and weigh more than 500 pounds.

Giant clams are hunted for their decorative wavy shells and their meat, which is considered a delicacy. Because they are so massive and sedentary, giant clams must be pried off their ledges with knives or other machinery.

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Aydrea Walden ten Bosch, a former news reporter, has also written for Nickelodeon, NBC/Universal, Hawaii Film Partners, Highlander Films, the Now Write! Screenwriting book series, Improv Olympic, The Second City Los Angeles and Disney. She regularly performs sketch and improv comedy and runs the satirical blog, The Oreo Experience, about her life and times as a super white black person.