Giant sea creatures often seem like something out of a fairy tale but here are ten real ones which are more terrifying than you might think. Fish can grow freakishly huge, and some even look like living dinosaurs. The Kraken, sea Serpent, and many other legends are believed to have originated from sightings of these real animals. Many scientists refused to believe some of these creatures existed, and some even had their reputations ruined when they tried to discover them, but now there is no denying these giant sea creatures really exist!
The Japanese Spider Crab
The Japanese Spider Crab has the largest leg span of any Arthropod, it’s leg alone can measure up to 13ft, even though it’s entire body is only 15ft long. The largest spider crab is called “Crabzilla” in the Netherlands, there is also “Big daddy” in the UK which has ten feet legs, and “Crab Kong” in Tokyo which also has ten feet legs. Like many other giant sea creatures the spider crab is very dangerous, it can camouflage itself to take enemies by surprise, and has razor sharp claws at the ends of it’s legs which have a long range. This crab is estimated to live between 50 and 100 years.
The Colossal Squid
This giant sea creatures weighs up to 495kg and can grow up to 15ft in length. The largest one found was 495kg but they may be able to grow up to 750kg, and 46ft wide. It’s ten tentacles are extremely strong and there are even blue whales with scars from dangerous encounters with the species. It’s tentacles are lined with powerful suckers and 25 sharp, hook-like teeth. The species was first discovered in 1857 when it’s giant suckers were found in the mouth of a sperm whale. It’s also the creature with the largest eyes in the world measuring at a disturbing 10 inches.
Portugese Man o’ war
This giant sea creature is looks like one animal but it’s actually thousands of small animals called zooids which make up the creature. This is one of the largest giant sea creatures in the world. The largest of which is 98ft long, the same length as a blue whale. Most of it’s body is it’s large venomous tentacles, simply touching can be incredibly painful and sometimes fatal. If you survive after being stung the pain can last for weeks. It can’t move on it’s own and is simply propelled by wind, and the oceans current. It can actually only fulfil four tasks which are floating, capturing food, reproducing and feeding. It preys on small fish, and plankton. The Man o’ war is preyed on by the loggerhead turtle which can weigh up to 450kg, and has thick skin with the venomous tentacles cannot hurt.
Giant Oarfish
Oarfish otherwise known as the “Messenger from the Sea God’s Palace.” Is a giant bony fish that can grow up to 56ft, and has long been thought in Japan to warn people about earthquakes. This fish is rarely seen as it lives up to 1000m below sea level. Although the biggest may be 56ft the average Oarfish is 9.8ft in length. It’s believed that this fish was the cause of many supposed “sea serpent” sightings. Like all fish the sea serpent is cold blooded. Not a lot is known about how Oarfish behave, although we know they feed on krill and adults tend to be solitary.
Lions Mane Jellyfish
Also known as the giant jellyfish or the hair jelly, this cold blooded animal can become so big as to have a 7.6ft head, and 121.4ft long tentacles. It is only found in the cold waters of the Arctic, Northern Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. The jellyfish captures food using it’s long stinging tentacles, which capture fish, sea creatures and smaller jellyfish, which it then eats. The tentacles are sticky so captured meals cant escape, and are organised into clusters each of which has hundreds of tentacles. Lions manes fall prey to sea birds, ocean sunfish, other jellyfish, and sea turtles.
Blue Whale
The blue whale is a marine mammal which can grow over 100ft long and weigh up to 170 tonnes. Blue whales are an endangered species there used to be hundreds of thousands but now there only around 2000 in each of the oceans, so 10,000 in total. It’s surprising they’re endangered their colossal size, and long life(they generally live for about 80-90 years). Whales are mainly endangered due to the lucrative whaling industry, where hunters go whaling to make oil, food, clothing, and many products and tools like fishing hooks. Whales are now protected by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
Female Blanket Octopus
Blanket Octopus have one the largest female to male ratios in the world. Females are often 6.6ft, where as the males are only 2.4 centimetres. A weight ratio of 10,000:1, sometimes maybe even 40,000:1. To have sex the males detach their penis and then give it to the female, who then uses it to fertilise her 100,000 eggs. The male usually dies after the encounter. The blanket octopuses are immune to the Portuguese man o’ war’s tentacles, and actually rip them off of it to be used for defensive purposes. Like many giant sea creatures the animal doesn’t look like the name describes, it looks dissimilar to an octopus, although it does look like a weird fishy blanket in a way.
Ocean Sunfish
The Ocean Sunfish, also known as Mola Mola, is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. It weighs between 250 and 1000kg when an adult. Large Sunfish often grow to 14ft tall, and 10ft wide. They have large dorsal fins which causes many people to mistake them for sharks when they swim near the surface of the water. They are not afraid of humans will often curiously swim towards them, luckily they aren’t dangerous to humans so don’t be afraid if they come near you. The giant fish is native to tropical and temperate waters around the world. Sunfish mainly eat enormous amounts of jellyfish to maintain their size, and are preyed upon by sea lions, killer whales, and sharks.
Great white shark
Also known as white pointer, or white death. These giant sea creatures have terrified people all over the world due to their incredible size. They sometimes measure over 26ft, and can weigh over 7,000lbs. Great whites live fast and die old, reaching speeds of up to 35mph, and living for around 70 years. These sharks are very dangerous humans, and even hold the world record for having the most recorded attacks on humans. Avoiding these sharks is a must for most animals, as they eat a variety of fish and seabirds. Their only natural predator is the killer whale, but they have even been known to take on and win against these adversaries.
Whale Shark
Dangerous and gigantic, these whales grow up to 41.5ft, and our out killing for longer than 70 years. They dominate the ocean with their massive size, they are about as long as a bus. They can swallow just about anything, since their mouth is 5ft wide, and armed with 350 rows of teeth. Five large pairs of gills, spots and stripes decorate it’s exterior. Unique among giant sea creatures, you can not only swim up and touch the docile whale, but actually hitch a ride on it.