Giant gas bubble emanating from a whale

[DevilDiver]

Flatulent whales caught in the act
Discovery News



According to researchers the general rule that flatulence is worse than halitosis is also true for whales (AAD)

Scientists have photographed a giant gas bubble emanating from a whale, suggesting that flatulence is just as common for ocean mammals as it is for humans and many other terrestrial animals.

The picture, released last week by scientists from the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) in Tasmania, was taken by the captain of a U.S. research ship the Nathaniel B. Palmer, while on expedition between Marguerite Bay and Palmer Station, Antarctica.

"The picture is of an Antarctic minke whale taken from the bow of a ship," said AAD principal research scientist Dr Nick Gales. "The white bits in the photo are pieces of ice-floe, the stream of pinky colour behind the whale is a faecal plume - a.k.a. "poo" - the large circle in the water is indeed the physical eruption of the whale's flatulence."

[moosicman]

funny

[Defman]

SWEET, never could figure out how to blame it on the dog while I was on vacation!

[johnyringo]

Musta had the nachos.

[NoTime58]

I wonder if that counts in the surveys about "green house" gases and the effect on the environment ??

[MicahEW]

so thats how whales do their sonar???

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by DevilDiver

... the large circle in the water is indeed the physical eruption of the whale's flatulence."

And I thought I was talented because I can take out my regulator and blow bubble rings underwater. Fartting "flatulence. rings" wins big time. Now I have a new underwater skill to work on....

Well maybe not I most dive a drysuit.

[scubasamurai]

don't drink the water applies to whales as well

[wgt]

Actually, the subaquatic emission of gas provides benefit rather than detriment. As with the lungs, the release of compressed gas during decompression is essential in avoiding gastrointestinal (GI) barotrauma. Gas produced by the GI system at depth is effectively compressed and vulnerable to expansion according to Boyle's law during decompression. Optimally, such accumulations would lead to the emission of a significant bolus of gas in deep-diving but otherwise safety-conscious whales during ascent. Whales that panic or that are not properly trained may retain the colonic gas, potentially leading to a dangerous farterial ass embolism (FAE). Wisdom gained from the natural occurrence of this phenomenon has prompted the leadership of many forward-thinking dive organizations (such as DDCN) to encourage ass-first ascents among its members (SAEFE -- Slowly Ass End From Every dive). The increasing prevalence of this practice has prompted leading dry suit designers to reposition dump valves.

[DevilDiver]

Originally Posted by wgt

Actually, the subaquatic emission of gas provides benefit rather than detriment. As with the lungs, the release of compressed gas during decompression is essential in avoiding gastrointestinal (GI) barotrauma. Gas produced by the GI system at depth is effectively compressed and vulnerable to expansion according to Boyle's law during decompression. Optimally, such accumulations would lead to the emission of a significant bolus of gas in deep-diving but otherwise safety-conscious whales during ascent. Whales that panic or that are not properly trained may retain the colonic gas, potentially leading to a dangerous farterial ass embolism (FAE). Wisdom gained from the natural occurrence of this phenomenon has prompted the leadership of many forward-thinking dive organizations (such as DDCN) to encourage ass-first ascents among its members (SEAFE -- Slowly Ass End From Every dive). The increasing prevalence of this practice has prompted leading dry suit designers to reposition dump valves.