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mabelolivelover.bsky.social
@mabelolivelover.bsky.social

Whale lice aren’t parasites. Whales and their specific lice have mutualistic symbiotic relationships where both species benefit. The whale is just being nice to this man. Clearly, this friendly interaction is rewarding to both of them. You could say it’s also a beneficial symbiotic relationship

Lill Eva
@lilleva.bsky.social

Got curious, read The Guardian ⬆️ «Whale lice or cyamids … can be beneficial for whales, eating algae on their bodies and feeding on flaking skin and the sites of wounds. However, it is assumed that they also irritate the animal.» … «It can actually hurt when a whale louse grabs hold of your finger»

msroxyanne.bsky.social
@msroxyanne.bsky.social

I think those videos we used to see of whales slamming their chests on boats were them trying to remove barnacles. Their underneath them, so not so easy for humans to help with, even though we're the reason the water is warmer & the barnacles more prevalent.