Inspired by Tokyo 2020, Anjani Ganase shares the top contenders for an Ocean Olympics.
Fastest swimmer
The ocean finalists would easily be from the family of billfish that consist of a group of pelagic fish that roam the open oceans of the tropics and includes species of marlin, spearfish, and sailfish. The top speed contender will be a toss-up between the sailfish and the black marlin as both can reach speeds more than 110 km/h. The speed of the billfish is essential for herding and capturing prey. The sailfish has the advantage of its dorsal fin that acts as a sail and aids in corralling schools of small fish, such as anchovies. They may also use their elongated lower jaw like a spear. Runners-up in speed include the wahoo (78 km/h), the mako shark (74km/h) and the Atlantic blue fin tuna (70km/h) followed by dolphins that can get up to 60 km/h. Also included in the top ten is the flying fish which can reach speeds up to 54 km/h.
Deepest diver
The Mariana snailfish is a newly identified species known to live in the deepest part of the ocean in the Mariana Trench at depths up to 8,000 metres. But we are unsure whether this qualifies them as divers, as we don’t know if they can easily move between the depths. Therefore, the medal for deep diving goes to the Cuvier’s beaked whales, also known as the goose-beaked whales. They are widely distributed around the world but are not well known as they are deep-sea divers and are elusive to us land lubbers. Cuvier’s beaked whales can dive down to depths of 3,300 feet for 20 to 40 minutes on average. The deepest recorded dive was 9,816 feet and the longest dive was over three hours.
Highest jumper
[caption id="attachment_906725" align="alignnone" width="1024"] REFLECTION: A flying fish. PHOTO COURTESY Mike Bartick/Ocean Image Bank - MIKE BARTICK[/caption]
You may not think that marine animals need to jump, but they often breach the surface for many reasons, whether it is to capture prey, escape predation or to remove a pesky pest from their bodies. Penguins and seals, for example, must be able to propel their bodies on to land where they rest and raise their young. Flying fish often fly out of the water and glide to safety to avoid being eaten. But the highest jumpers are the orcas and the mackerel sharks, which can both leap about 20 feet into the air. Orcas, like many dolphins, leap out of the water as part of social interactions and communication. Breaching marine mammals may be communicating with other pods that are in the distance. There are also certain circumstances when breaching may improve their breathing and swimming efficiency under choppy surface conditions. In captivity, dolphins have been trained to jump at least 30 feet into the air, but it is not something seen in the wild. Mackerel sharks are an order of sharks called lamniformes. Most famous of this group are the great white shark and the mako shark. They are large-bodied predators that can impressively leap out of the water when hunting for nimble prey, such as seals.
Synchronised swimme
