Whales and barnacles
Help for the whales
Barnacles are known as hitchhikers. Have you ever seen a whale with white patches on it, well if so, you've also seen barnacle. Barnacles are actually very helpful to whales. The relationship that they have is mutualism. They attach on to them and they eat the algae and the other harmful things on them. The whales don't mind the barnacles because the whale acually benefits off the barnacles. Barnacles are benefited because they eat the things that are on the whale. Some say that these little helpers are parasites because they are harming the whale, when really they are helping them. Whales travel around the ocean and attract a lot of algae and other harmful things to them. The banacles also need the whales, but not only whales. They eat things off of boats, rocks, other animals, etc. So to these whales, the barnacles are helpers. But like I said earlier, the barnacles also need the whales. Without the whales and other things that it attaches to, the barnacles could die of starvation.
Gray whales are the most common to have barnalcles attached to them. The reason why they are called gray whales is because when the barnacles fall off, after they have attached to the whales, they leave a scar on them that is gray. That is why they look gray. The gray whales travel all over the world and don't mind them, like I said earlier.
Help for the whales
Barnacles are known as hitchhikers. Have you ever seen a whale with white patches on it, well if so, you've also seen barnacle. Barnacles are actually very helpful to whales. The relationship that they have is mutualism. They attach on to them and they eat the algae and the other harmful things on them. The whales don't mind the barnacles because the whale acually benefits off the barnacles. Barnacles are benefited because they eat the things that are on the whale. Some say that these little helpers are parasites because they are harming the whale, when really they are helping them. Whales travel around the ocean and attract a lot of algae and other harmful things to them. The banacles also need the whales, but not only whales. They eat things off of boats, rocks, other animals, etc. So to these whales, the barnacles are helpers. But like I said earlier, the barnacles also need the whales. Without the whales and other things that it attaches to, the barnacles could die of starvation.
Gray whales are the most common to have barnalcles attached to them. The reason why they are called gray whales is because when the barnacles fall off, after they have attached to the whales, they leave a scar on them that is gray. That is why they look gray. The gray whales travel all over the world and don't mind them, like I said earlier.
This whale, as you can see, has barnalces attached to it.
These barnacles are not hurting the whale at all. So dont' feel
bad for the whale.
These barnacles are not hurting the whale at all. So dont' feel
bad for the whale.
This whale lives in the ocean with other animals such as the seal.