Kaikoura is a marine life's paradise. Kaikoura Peninsula goes deep into the sea and ends 80 km away from Hikurangi canyon, which reaches depths of nearly 4000m. This huge descent triggers the ascent of lots of nutriens thanks to action of winds and tides. So all kind of marine life comes here to feed: dolphins, seals, albatross, petrels, and whales. Occasionally you can see killer whales, but the most common big cetaceans are sperm whales. Funny name given by the first ones to study this animal when they found a big bag of oil (spermacetti) on the whale's brain. Obviously, they thought that was sperm, but this theory finished when they found out that female whales had it as well. In fact this oil acts as a sounding board to capture ultrasonic waves.
No comments:
Post a Comment