Whale Fall

ocean · deep sea · ecosystems · decomposition

A sinking giant. When a whale dies in the ocean, its massive body sinks down to the dark seafloor, often more than a mile below the surface where sunlight never reaches.

An underwater buffet. The whale's body becomes a gigantic food source for deep-sea creatures like giant squid, hagfish, and bacteria that have nothing else to eat in this dark, empty part of the ocean.

Instant neighborhood. The whale fall creates a whole neighborhood on the seafloor where different creatures move in and out over decades, feasting and making homes in and around the rotting carcass.

Recent discovery. Scientists only discovered whale falls in the late 1970s when they built robots that could explore the deep ocean floor, and they've been studying them ever since.

Cold slows decay. In icy, cold ocean waters, a whale fall can feed creatures for 50 years or more because the cold keeps the body from breaking down quickly.