{"id":37907,"date":"2024-06-26T13:43:48","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T11:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cc8896b1-bdf2-46cc-9efb-9b89c8302f69"},"modified":"2024-06-26T14:26:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T12:26:40","slug":"enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"Enormous ocean giants: Discover 10 of the UK\u2019s largest sea animals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Think large ocean animals only live in foreign waters? Think again! You can see huge sharks, whales and turtles right here on our coastlines, says Melissa Hobson <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 at 11:43 AM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p><strong>When it comes to the ocean, people often think they need to travel to far-flung, exotic locations to see incredible wildlife but the UK is home to lots of amazing \u2013and enormous \u2013 marine life says Melissa Hobson<\/strong><\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/top-tips-for-spotting-wildlife-from-a-ferry\">Top tips for spotting wildlife from a ferry<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/get-active\/best-dive-sites-in-uk\">Best dive sites in UK: Discover 11 magical underwater worlds<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>From whales the size of a bus to breaching sharks with whip-like tails, here are some of the UK\u2019s most colossal ocean animals.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-largest-sea-animals\">Largest sea animals<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-basking-sharks-cetorhinus-maximus\"><br\/>\u00a0Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-473032073-1.mp4\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Reaching 12 metres, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/swimming-with-basking-sharks-in-cornwall\">basking sharks<\/a> are the world\u2019s second largest fish &#8211; behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/facts-about-whale-sharks\">whale sharks<\/a>. When these ocean giants cruise the surface feeding on plankton, it looks like they\u2019re basking in the sun. They usually visit UK waters between May and October and can be seen in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/uk-travel\/holiday-ideas\/essential-guide-to-visiting-cornwall\">Cornwall<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/isle-of-man\">Isle of Man<\/a> and the Sea of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/travel-planner\/scotland\/guide-to-the-hebrides\">Hebrides<\/a><\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-killer-whales-orcinus-orca\"><br\/>Killer whales (Orcinus orca)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><br\/>Also called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/facts-about-orcas\">orcas, killer whale<\/a>s are the largest and, arguably, most recognisable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/marine-life\/guide-to-britains-dolphins-porpoise-and-whales-how-to-identify-and-where-to-see-them\">dolphin<\/a>. They grow up to 9.8m long with an enormous dorsal fin (up to 1.8m in males) and iconic black and white markings. A resident group lives around the west coast of the UK and Ireland and another population sometimes visits northern Scotland.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/are-killer-whales-dangerous-to-humans\">Are killer whales dangerous to humans?<\/a><\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-humpback-whales-megaptera-novaeangliae\"><br\/>Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/Humpback-whale-is-one-of-the-largest-animals-in-the-sea.jpg\" alt=\"Humpback whales are one of the biggest animals in the sea\" class=\"wp-image-187011\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/humpback-whale-facts\"><br\/>Humpback whales<\/a> can grow to 17m \u2013 around the same length as a bus. The markings on the underside of their tail fluke are unique to each whale so researchers use these to identify individuals. Humpbacks feed in colder waters before making huge migrations to tropical oceans to reproduce. They can sometimes be spotted in UK waters, particularly in Cornwall.<br\/><\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-thunnus-thynnus\">Atlantic\u00a0bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tracking Bluefin Tuna | A Perfect Planet | BBC Earth\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rMtumsxoT8c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p><br\/>For 60 years <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/facts-about-bluefin-tuna\">bluefin tuna <\/a>weren\u2019t found in British waters after being wiped out by commercial fishing. Thanks to fishing quotas, their populations have bounced back and they have been seen off our coast again. These gigantic fish can reach 4.5m and are known for their astonishing speed \u2013 hitting 40 kilometres per hour at top speed.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sunfish-mola-mola\"><br\/>Sunfish (Mola mola)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2125\" height=\"1411\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/sunfish-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-187006\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><br\/>If you imagined slapping a face on the side of an old pancake and throwing it into the ocean, you\u2019ve got a pretty good picture of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/marine-life\/sunfish-guide\">sunfish<\/a>, one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/weirdest-fish\">world&#8217;s weirdest fish<\/a>. These three-meter animals have a round, rudder-like fin at the back which looks like its tail is missing. In the UK, you might be lucky enough to see one of these weird creatures on a boat trip from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/days-out\/guide-to-devon-things-to-do-places-to-stay-best-walks\">Devon<\/a> or Cornwall.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sperm-whale-physeter-macrocephalus\"><br\/>Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-114809316-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sperm whale is one of the biggest sea animals\" class=\"wp-image-187005\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><br\/>These huge whales, which grow to 18m, have the biggest brain of any animal on the planet. Inside their heads is an oily fluid called \u2018spermaceti\u2019, which scientists once thought was sperm &#8211; hence the name. They can dive over 3,000m hunting their favourite food: squid. While found in UK waters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/sperm-whale-facts\">sperm whales <\/a>are rarely seen unless they get into trouble and strand.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leatherback-turtle-dermochelys-coriacea\"><br\/>Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1853222615.mp4\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><br\/>Another deep-diving animal, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/leatherback-turtle-facts\">leatherback turtles <\/a>are the world\u2019s largest turtles and can grow over two meters. Leatherbacks can plummet to depths of over 1,200m, compared to other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/sea-turtle-types\">sea turtles<\/a> which don\u2019t exceed 290m. This is why they don\u2019t have a hard shell: the ridged, leathery skin on their backs compresses in deep water when a shell would crack under the pressure. Although rare, you can see these gargantuan turtles off the west coast of the UK.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-thresher-sharks-alopias-vulpinus\"><br\/>Thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rare footage captures large shark leaping high out of the water | SWNS\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/foCBda_z3rA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p><br\/>The Indiana Jones of sharks, threshers (one of the world&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/weirdest-sharks\">weirdest sharks<\/a>) have a 3m long, whip-like tail that they use to stun their prey. The tail is half the length of the entire 6m shark. Threshers can leap clear of the water in a massive breach. This rare spectacle was once caught on camera by lucky tourists on a dolphin watching tour off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/days-out\/day-out-cardigan-bay-ceredigion\">Cardigan Bay<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/days-out\/adventures-in-wild-wales-the-best-secret-spots-to-visit\">Wales<\/a>.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-barrel-jellyfish-rhizostoma-pulmo\"><br\/>Barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1560788918.jpg\" alt=\"Barrel jellyfish is one of the biggest animals in the sea\" class=\"wp-image-187002\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><br\/>Also called dustbin jellyfish because of their tremendous size, these 90cm jellyfish can weigh an epic 35kg (around the same as a Doberman). They like warm waters so can be found here from May to October, when huge swarms can wash up onshore. It\u2019s the most common <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/marine-life\/jellyfish-guide-uk\">jellyfish<\/a> seen in UK waters.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/can-jellyfish-sting-even-when-theyre-dead\">Can jellyfish sting even when they&#8217;re dead?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/biggest-jellyfish-in-the-world\">What is the biggest jellyfish in the world? Meet a monster jelly<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p\/><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-angelshark-squatina-squatina\"><br\/>Angelshark (Squatina squatina)<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1B02186_0001.mp4\"\/><\/figure><p><br\/>Angelsharks are broad and flat, looking more like a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/skate-vs-ray-whats-the-difference\">ray<\/a> than a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/shark-facts\">shark<\/a>. Found across Europe<br\/>and the UK, they often live around continental shelves (down to around 150m) and grow to<br\/>2.4m. These lie-in-wait predators hide in the sand until their prey swims past then snap it up.<br\/>The critically endangered species is protected in England and Wales.<a href=\"https:\/\/ocean.si.edu\/ocean-life\/reptiles\/sea-turtles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/animals\/reptiles\/facts\/leatherback-sea-turtle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bdmlr.org.uk\/sperm-whale-stranding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/species\/sperm-whale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/animals\/mammals\/facts\/sperm-whale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/animals\/animals-a-to-z\/ocean-sunfish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/marine-life\/sunfish-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/marine-life\/bluefin-tuna-guide-facts-uk-populations-size-anatomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/marine-life\/how-bluefish-tuna-returned-to-uk-oceans-after-60-years-of-absence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk\/blog\/rebecca-payne\/all-eyes-horizon-nows-time-year-spot-humpback-whales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/humpback-whale-facts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.whales.org\/whales-dolphins\/species-guide\/humpback-whale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.uk\/learn\/fascinating-facts\/orcas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wildlifetrusts.org\/wildlife-explorer\/marine\/fish-including-sharks-skates-and-rays\/basking-shark\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/swimming-with-basking-sharks-in-cornwall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/p><p><strong>Read more about the world&#8217;s most fascinating marine life<\/strong><\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/deadliest-sea-creatures\">Deadliest sea creatures: Meet the most dangerous animals in the ocean<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/weirdest-sea-creatures\">Weirdest sea creatures &#8211; meet 13 strange sea animals of the deep<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/whats-the-deepest-part-of-the-ocean\">What is the deepest part of the ocean?\u00a0And does anything live there?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/whale-vs-dolphin-whats-the-difference\">Whale vs dolphin: what&#8217;s the difference between these mysterious denizens of the ocean?<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Think large ocean animals only live in foreign waters? Think again! You can see huge sharks, whales and turtles right here on our coastlines, says Melissa Hobson <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":37908,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals.jpg",1600,943,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals-300x177.jpg",300,177,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals-768x453.jpg",768,453,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals-1024x604.jpg",800,472,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals-1536x905.jpg",1536,905,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/06\/enormous-ocean-giants-discover-10-of-the-uks-largest-sea-animals.jpg",1600,943,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Think large ocean animals only live in foreign waters? Think again! You can see huge sharks, whales and turtles right here on our coastlines, says Melissa Hobson","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/37907"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}