“WE REQUIRE MORE VESPINE GAS!”
These are actually harmless commensal symbionts on the back of a grey whale (photo source). The smaller “whale lice” are amphipod crustaceans who feed on dead skin cells and generally cause more benefit than harm, while the large barnacles feed on plankton as water passes over the host’s body surface. Many types of barnacle may attach themselves to whales, but these are an example of a whale-specific species. Check out these empty shells:
Fortunately, a whale’s skin is thick enough to not even notice these animals embedded so deeply in it.
All you trypophobes are clawing at yourselves now, aren’t you? Oops!
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thesmellofraneinthemorning reblogged this from bogleech and added:
insanely gross and awesome
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