Whales washed ashore after Typhoon Telly: Revealing the "Whale Burst" Phenomenon and Marine Ecological Warnings
Recently, Typhoon Taili swept through the coastal areas of the mainland with violent storms and rain, among which Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, was severely affected. In the midst of this natural disaster, a shocking phenomenon has attracted widespread attention: a whale washed ashore by a typhoon, its huge body and unique form are shocking. What's even more worrying is that this whale is suspected to be baleen, which can't help but remind people of a scientific term - "whale explosion".
First, let's understand what baleen is. Baleen is a special structure in the mouth of baleen whales (such as blue whales, fin whales, minke whales, etc.), which is a huge sheet formed by the epidermis. Baleen whales use baleen to filter plankton in seawater, such as krill and small fish, as their main food source. The unique structure and function of baleen make baleen whales play an important role in the marine ecosystem.
However, when a whale dies, its sheer size can become a potential source of danger. This is the "whale burst" phenomenon that we are going to discuss today. Whale explosion, as the name suggests, refers to the accumulation of too much putrefactive substances and gases in the body of a dead whale, and after a long period of time without release, the whale's body will explode. When exploding, a large amount of flesh and internal organs will be sprayed from the whale's body, as well as some undigested food, which will emit an unpleasant smell and even contain toxic gases. Whale bursts are extremely powerful, sometimes even killing nearby creatures.
So, under what circumstances do whales form whale bursts? In general, the occurrence of whale bursts is related to the cause of death of the whale, environmental conditions, and time factors. First of all, after death, if the whale is not found and treated in time, its carcass will begin to decompose. During the decay process, microorganisms can grow in large numbers, producing large amounts of gases and putrefactive substances. If a whale's carcass is washed up on the beach by the waves, sun exposure and rising temperatures can accelerate the process. Secondly, the whale's skin is thick and flexible, and these gases are not released outward for a short period of time. Over time, the gas in the whale's body accumulates more and more, and when it reaches a certain level, an explosion occurs.
It's important to note that whale bursts don't just happen on beaches. In some deep-sea areas, dead whales can also explode due to pressure changes and microbial action. The substances and gases produced by these explosions can contaminate the marine environment and pose a threat to marine life.
Returning to the whale incident when Typhoon Teli washed ashore, although this whale is suspected to be baleen, it is also possible that it died due to the impact of the typhoon. If the whale is not treated in time after the typhoon, there is a possibility of a whale burst. This will not only cause pollution to the local environment, but may also pose a threat to people's lives.
Therefore, we should attach great importance to the death of marine life caused by natural disasters such as typhoons. On the one hand, we should strengthen the awareness of marine environmental protection and reduce the damage to marine ecosystems caused by human activities. On the other hand, we should establish a sound emergency response mechanism to detect and deal with dead marine life in a timely manner to prevent the occurrence of dangerous events such as whale explosions.
Finally, let us all focus on the health and safety of marine ecosystems and contribute to building a better future where people and nature coexist in harmony.