https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/some-barnacles-can-move-around-to-improve-feeding-position-69285 The financial and practical difficulties of moving a dead whale, which can weigh between 1 and 40 tonnes, are heightened by the potential for the decomposing carcass to become explosive. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Barnacles often latch onto baleen whales, and you'll usually find a specific type, called Cryptolepas rhachianecti, covering gray whales. Barnacles generally don't harm whales, so there's no need to remove them. However, if there are too many, they might irritate the whale skin. When barnacles dig in, they can sometimes scrape off the top layer of the whale's skin.

Flammang suspects that remoras are able to move freely without being completely peeled from their speedy hosts, which can move nearly seven times faster than the remora, through something called the Venturi effect. Barnacles latch onto whales for a safe home, plenty of water to filter-feed from, and space to grow their colonies. But the relationship isn't purely one-sided. Though it might seem like barnacles get a free ride, they're not just lounging around. They aren’t draining any energy from the whales, and in a surprising twist, these tiny critters might just play the role of unexpected protectors. Their hardy shells can serve as a shield for whales against potential sea threats. Barnacles often hitch a ride on whales, but they especially love to latch onto the head and chin areas. These spots are prime real estate for barnacles, allowing them easy access to plankton-rich waters for filter-feeding when the whale swims by. Archive footage from 1970 shows the radical effort made by engineers in the US to use C-4 plastic explosives strapped to the whale carcass in an attempt to “disintegrate” it in a controlled manner, with the intention that birds and other scavengers would feed on the remains.Here's an age-old question: why don't whales give barnacles the boot? It's normal to think these crusty stowaways might be a nuisance, but the reality is a bit more complex. For the most part, whales don't seem to mind their barnacle buddies. In fact, these tough-shelled passengers might serve as pint-sized bodyguards for the whales. So, before you start a barnacle-removal campaign, remember that nature has a way of maintaining balance, and the barnacle-whale alliance seems to be a part of that equilibrium. Next time you see these oceanic companions, think of them as partners navigating the high seas together! The potential for a bloated carcass to rupture and spread chunks of decomposing flesh across the beach became a worry for officials in May 2023, when they cordoned off the area around a 30 tonne whale that had become beached on the East Yorkshire coast. While the carcass became something of a morbid tourist attraction, it also posed a safety risk and was removed intact by officials. Taking carcasses to landfill is generally seen as the optimal disposal method, with around a third of all beached whales being disposed of in this manner in the US. The discovery of a stranded whale poses an array of problems for the local councils and organisations tasked with disposing of the carcass.

Barnacles can be harmful because they latch onto and multiply on the undersides of ships, oil rigs, and deep-sea equipment, causing damage over time. They feed by filter-feeding or suspension-feeding, capturing small food particles from the water they pass through. Whales and barnacles share a relationship called commensalism. The barnacles benefit the most, hitching a ride on whales for protection and food. Meanwhile, they don't harm the whales. It's a one-sided, harmless free ride. Killer whales, blue whales, and orcas occasionally have barnacles, but it's rare and usually in small numbers. When a whale swims through plankton-rich waters, the barnacle gets a free meal. It simply stretches out its filtering arm and catches the floating plankton. As the host whale moves, the barnacle enjoys a constant buffet.At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents. There are more than 1,000 barnacle species. When barnacles attach to whales, they usually have a give-and-take relationship with their massive hosts. Whale barnacles may have evolved from turtle barnacles around three million years ago. Researchers came up with three possible reasons why this might have happened: Either the whales were being aggressive, they were trying to help the dolphins in some way, or they were just playing around. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_feeder#:~:text=Most%20species%20of%20barnacles%20are,feeders%20during%20their%20aquatic%20stage

Please note some areas including Scotland(post codes AB, FK, IV, KW, PA, PH, HS, KA, ZE, TR, DD, PH, PA, KY, AB, DD, KW, IV, HS), Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, will need extra carriage. We no longer ship to Jersey, Guernsey or Northern Ireland.When I started this job 25 years ago, you might be looking at 500 to 600 strandings a year, but now we are looking at 1,000,” said the CSIP project manager Rob Deaville, one of the experts who conducted postmortem examinations on July’s mass stranding.