Giant Sea Creatures Photos

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Blue Whale

Photograph by Wolcott Henry, National Geographic

Sailboat-sleek, a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) slices through the waters of California's Channel Islands. The largest blue whale was confirmed to be nearly 110 feet (33.5 meters) long and 418,000 pounds (190,000 kilograms), making members of this species the largest animals on Earth. As such, the blue whale has virtually no natural predators.

Humboldt Squid and Diver

Photograph by Brian Skerry, National Geographic

A diver swims near a Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) in Mexico's Gulf of California. Also called jumbo squid, Humboldts travel in large schools and are notoriously voracious, occasionally even attacking divers.

Giant Clam and Divers

Photograph by Bill Curtsinger, National Geographic

Divers in the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands spot a giant clam (Tridacna gigas) anchored to a coral reef. During the day, the animal's fleshy mantle—which contains green algae—spreads over its open shell to take in sunlight. The sun feeds the algae, which in turn, nourishes the mollusk.

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Young Blue Whale

Photograph by Flip Nicklin, National Geographic

Blending in with its ocean environment, a blue whale calf (Balaenoptera musculus) looms like a submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. At a mere 45 feet (14 meters) long, it's at risk of being killed by killer whales and large sharks.

Diver With Giant Clam

Photograph by Gordon Gahan, National Geographic

Exposing its mantle and inhalant siphon, a giant clam (Tridacna gigas) is in the ideal position for a diver's examination in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. While in their larval stage, giant clams must swim and feed in the water column. But once they grow to adulthood, these largest of bivalve mollusks permanently affix themselves to surfaces such as sand or coral reef rubble.

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Diver and Bluefin Tuna

Photograph by John Anderson, National Geographic

The silvery magnificence of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) swims past a diver in Japan's Tokyo Sea Life Park. The fish's belly meat is prized as the finest sushi in the world; one fish can easily sell for tens of thousands of dollars on the world market. Its meat is in such demand that overfishing—some illegal—leaves the giant bluefin population at risk of collapse.

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Great White Shark and Diver

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

After luring a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) with chum, diver Andre Hartman ends up perilously close to the premier predator off the coast of Gansbaai, South Africa. Although attacks on humans do occur—with some resulting in death—shark scientists believe that great whites approach people more out of curiosity than predation. Unfortunately, they're inclined to "taste" what is unfamiliar to them.