Watching carefully, I noticed that two other activities added to the commotion: sloughing of skin and defecation. Like other whales, sperm whales shed skin on a regular basis. This may be a mechanism to reduce the risk of infection and to rid the animals of external parasites. As the whales rubbed against one another, the physical contact dislodged flakes, sometimes entire sheets, of skin, which floated in the water like a blizzard of translucent dandruff.
Group defecation also seemed to play a prominent role. When a dozen or more whales defecated simultaneously, it created a cloud of poop that engulfed the ensemble, obscuring them from view and turning the seawater into an oily soup.
I think it's a metaphor.
More like this
I noted in my post about Pakistan that a shortage of clean water for millions of flood victims may lead to outbreaks of diarrheal diseases.
Sauper T, Lanthaler M, Biebl M, Weiss H, Nehoda H. Impaired anal sphincter function in professional cyclists. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2007;119(5-6):170-3.
Professional cycling: Voluntary defecation control is for pussies.
Sad, weird, and odd: a 1kg spectacled owl attacked, killed, and ate (part of) a defenseless three-toed sloth. Apparently the owl stabbed its talons in the sloth's neck while it was on the way to the ground to defec
I've been meaning to mention this post by Sid Schwab of Surgeonsblog for a while now. It's a wonderful example of how nothing heals like surgical steel in even the most humble-seeming conditions.
A metaphor for conservative politics, perhaps?
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