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A pod of sleeping Sperm Whales. (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by MirakeshExpress

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[–]ca1cifer 28 points29 points ago

I didn't know they slept vertically.

[–]paxifista 3 points4 points ago

I wonder how that works with buoyancy and their body weight distribution?

[–]orniver 0 points1 point ago

They're like the exact opposite of us in this aspect.

[–]IAmMegabyte 0 points1 point ago

Their heads kind of match ours in the sleeping position.

[–]kjaya 53 points54 points ago

This terrifies me for some reason.

[–]retroribbit 7 points8 points ago

Maybe they wake up cranky.

[–]CTRL_ALT_RAPE 8 points9 points ago

THEY COULD GET CHOPPED UP BY PROPELLERS.

[–]SammichParade 8 points9 points ago

I have a fear of water, and of beasts in the water. Stumbling into situations like what's in this photo, especially at night, is a nightmarish notion for me.

[–]ItsNotWhereItWas 2 points3 points ago

They are Reapers in rest, waiting for the signal to attack.

[–]hlfempty69 1 point2 points ago

same here...like they're mobilizing...plotting...planning...something.

[–]ShitBrixOfSteel[!] 19 points20 points ago

Imagine swimming with these under you. Every time you put your head under the water seeing this and the endless abyss beneath you.

Shudders

[–]0GAVAN0 12 points13 points ago

seriously the one semirational fear of mine

[–]ShitBrixOfSteel[!] 11 points12 points ago

I can't swim in places that i can't see the bottom of. Freaks me out so much.

[–]HamTMan 6 points7 points ago

If you don't like that, try this one out: as a scuba diver there are times when you are descending that you can't see where the water ends in any direction (look up - no clear surface ripple, look down - no bottom, etc). Very creepy.

[–]ShitBrixOfSteel[!] 1 point2 points ago

Shudders

You sir, have balls of steel.

[–]HamTMan 1 point2 points ago

Thanks. I would like t

[–]Bemmer 1 point2 points ago

I go swimming in a fresh water lake near my house. It's 35m deep and 500m across. I swim across every time I go there. This is always in the back of my head.

[–]The_Texican 22 points23 points ago

Wet Dreams

[–]fuzzb0y 4 points5 points ago

Because they're called sperm whales and they're in water HAHA I GET IT!

[–]Otiac 8 points9 points ago

How would they not pass-out or drown, etc.?

[–]random314 9 points10 points ago

I'm pretty sure they can hold their breath for hours on end.

[–]Otiac 8 points9 points ago

After some googling on the interwebs I can say that scientists don't really have a clue, and apparently the picture in question is one of the few instances where they were able to study whales actually sleeping, while still not understanding what goes on in their brainpans or why they don't really drown.

[–]cptcliche 2 points3 points ago

The one in the back left of the picture looks like it's bobbing up to the surface. Maybe they're able to do that while sleeping, occasionally surfacing for air?

[–]Otiac 1 point2 points ago

The one in the back was apparently brushed by a boat and woke up.

[–]Brostapholes 2 points3 points ago

Maybe they do the dolphin thing and only have half their brains sleeping at a time.

[–]Otiac 3 points4 points ago

They think that has been largely ruled out but still might be a possibility.

[–]hefnetefne 0 points1 point ago

Sperm whales can hold their breath up to 2 hours. That's plenty of time for a quick nap.

[–]FatFromSpeed 4 points5 points ago

Swimming through the sleeping whales, while not trying to wake them, should be a new "adrenaline sport."

[–]americais1984 12 points13 points ago

FUCK YOU WHALE AND A FUCK YOU DOLPHEEEN!

[–]Sentence55 0 points1 point ago

U NOT REAR JAPANESE! IT IS CALLED WHARE!!! YOU MUST BE DORPHEEN!!!! FUCK YOU!!!

[–]americais1984 0 points1 point ago

I never said I was Japanese. I just don't like whales. Or dolphins.

[–]Sentence55 0 points1 point ago

i was just pretending to be one of those japanese from south park lol

[–]credit_goes_to 4 points5 points ago

Magnus Lundgren - photographer.

His personal website.

"Sperm Whales, Atlantic Ocean

Photograph by Magnus Lundgren, Wild Wonders of Europe

Near the Azores, just below the sunlit Atlantic surface, sperm whales float in vertical repose. Scientists think "drift dives" are a form of communal slumber. This species may sleep the least of any mammal."

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]Lucifersamtaco 1 point2 points ago

Well they are both practical and impractical.

Killzone was a seriously underrated game. :'(

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]Lucifersamtaco 1 point2 points ago

I was lucky enough to play Killzone 3 on a large 3D tv/home theater setup, best gaming experience to date.

[–]greendesk 2 points3 points ago

Makes me think of the reapers

[–]MadLintElf 2 points3 points ago

I'm having a star trek moment, anyone else?

[–]QueenCoyote 0 points1 point ago

Captain, there be whales here!

[–]amoontverified 1 point2 points ago

Anyone able to provide scale?

[–]beepbeepsean 19 points20 points ago

No problem.

[–]LettersFromTheSky 6 points7 points ago

Size comparison

[–]KittyHoodie 0 points1 point ago

I wonder what would happen if you tipped one of them

[–]canitoy 0 points1 point ago

In /r/whalebait they'll love this

[–]TheHangOfThursday 0 points1 point ago

How large are these whales?

[–]LettersFromTheSky 2 points3 points ago

They are about 67 feet long.

[–]Zechnophobe 1 point2 points ago

Interesting, this actually means they sleep WHILE holding their breath. I'm sure a marine biologist could explain how that works. Maybe they have like a shutoff valve that prevents them from trying to breathe while sleeping or something? I know they can hold their breath for a really long time.

Cool picture.

[–]NeFace 2 points3 points ago

I am no cetologist but I would have thought that, unlike us, or, I presume, most other mammals, whales spend the majority of their time not breathing. It seems more likely that they have to consciously make the effort to breathe, rather than make the effort not to.

Also, I believe they do have such a valve. Their muscular nostrils, or in some species I think that is nostril, close up.

[–]specter800 0 points1 point ago

Imagine how vulnerable that would feel. The ocean is full of predators and they have absolutely no protection from anything that could attack them.

[–]NeFace 2 points3 points ago

Being the biggest predator in the ocean probably helps them, somewhat.

But, yeah, that would make little ol' me feel pretty vulnerable. But Ialso think it would feel exhilarating and awesome, being in such deep empty looking waters. With no idea of what lurks in the unfathomable depths below you.*

[–]Oobuskaboo 1 point2 points ago

They eat giant squid for breakfast! don'y worry.

edit: drunk spelling, i'll suffer it.

[–]chumpacheese 0 points1 point ago

Split your lungs and crack your oars

[–]newroot 1 point2 points ago

The whales are so huge you can clearly see the curvature of the earth in that pic.

[–]pyroman15963 -1 points0 points ago

go home whales you're drunk.

[–]DirtPile 0 points1 point ago

Split your lungs with blood and thunder!

[–]ColonelSharp -1 points0 points ago

It was my understanding that dolphins and other marine mammals do not actually sleep in the traditional sense. If i were at my computer i could look it up, but basically they only sleep half of their brain at a time so that they don't drown.

[–]Zlswoosh123 -1 points0 points ago

Thats actually a bunch of floating torpedoes

[–]hambone3 0 points1 point ago

Reading through the comments makes me happy to see that I'm not the only one with an irrational fear of whales. They're just too damn big.

[–]mother-teresa 0 points1 point ago

TIL whales sleep funny.

[–]Speark 0 points1 point ago

That's alot of sperm

[–]mismotep 0 points1 point ago

Is the horizontal one a lookout?

[–]Subduction 0 points1 point ago

Wow, they're not even moving.

[–]VadersSpy 0 points1 point ago

Every time I see a pic like this or an article about them I seem to become Butthead....heh...heh...you said sperm...huh..huh...sperm

[–]Pamander 0 points1 point ago

That is so GOD DAMN FUCKING COOL!

[–]WHPH13 0 points1 point ago

Who wants to go Sperm Whale tipping?

[–]Mrfcukyuo 0 points1 point ago

wheres the Japanese whaling boat?

[–]Sam2357 0 points1 point ago

Heh heh.... Sperm...

[–]HerrBongwasser 0 points1 point ago

a group of sperm whales is called a load.

[–]En3rgyX -5 points-4 points ago

does this whale look like a penis to anyone else?