Lin Qian took the crystal core with him and then returned to the mountain range.
The orca then led the mutated beast back into the sea.
————
In the ocean.
Just as the orca entered the sea, a huge white creature swam over instantly.
This is clearly a mythical beast, but it is not an orca.
It was a white humpback whale.
Cetaceans possess a highly complex set of communication skills, and they emphasize cooperation among themselves.
However, this does not include the relationship between humpback whales and killer whales.
It is well known that humpback whales enjoy beating up killer whales.
Although humpback whales, which share the same ancestry as killer whales, lack sharp teeth, they have the advantage of being "tall and strong" (adult male humpback whales have an average body length of 12.9 meters).
Of course, size is not an advantage for orcas, as they don't even consider blue whales as a threat. However, humpback whales also possess flexible pectoral fins that can reach up to 5 meters in length and weigh over 1 ton, allowing them to launch powerful attacks on orcas in the ocean.
Orcas are in serious trouble just from a single swipe of a humpback whale's fin, let alone the fact that many humpback whales are not "empty-handed".
Many adult humpback whales have fins covered with hard barnacles.
Barnacles are arthropods that attach themselves to rocks and marine life on the seashore. They have a calcareous shell. The barnacles on the fins of humpback whales are like brass knuckles worn by boxers, making the force of the humpback whale's punches even more powerful.
Adult humpback whales that are alone are usually not targeted by killer whales.
However, humpback whales also have weaknesses. They are poor swimmers when they are young and can only hold their breath underwater for a few minutes (adults can hold their breath for 40 minutes). They often need their mothers to help them surface so they can breathe.
Therefore, young humpback whales, who are poor swimmers and unable to fight, become targets for orcas to bully.
However, the mother of the humpback whale will not stand idly by. Adult female humpback whales are larger than males, with an average length of 13.7 meters and the largest recorded exceeding 18 meters. A single tail strike can severely injure an orca.
When orcas attack a calf of a humpback whale, the mother humpback whale will carry the calf on her back, preventing the orcas from getting close.
However, orcas swim faster than humpback whales and can cause disturbances around the mother humpback whale, washing the baby humpback whale off its mother. Once the baby humpback whale is separated from its mother, it will be dragged to the deep water and drown.
Even the most formidable mother humpback whale can't fight off a multitude of others. In times of crisis, the intervention of other humpback whales can help the mother and calf escape danger.
Humans have yet to find the true reason why humpback whales like to beat orcas, but there are some speculations:
Revenge – Humpback whales may have harbored resentment from being bullied by killer whales when they were young, which may have fostered a subconscious tendency to attack killer whales whenever they see them.
Maintaining stability – Humpback whales have stable breeding areas and are aware of the need to maintain "security and stability" in those areas.
Bored—just as orcas sometimes tease other small animals, humpback whales also need amusement, only they limit their amusement to orcas.
Training – humpback whales rarely get injured fighting killer whales anyway, so they might as well train their muscles and bones and gain some real combat experience.
Of course, these are all human speculations, and no one knows the truth.
Today, humpback whales and killer whales coexist peacefully, even appearing to cooperate, despite the changes in the environment. These human speculations are naturally impossible to verify.
Compared to orcas, which are known for their mischievousness, humpback whales are much gentler and more docile.
Adult humpback whales often express affection by touching each other. Male humpback whales sing all day long for about six months of the year, and the ratio of percussion to pure tone in their songs is very similar to that in Western symphonies.
This enormous creature can produce at least seven octaves of notes, but it doesn't roar haphazardly; instead, it sings according to a certain rhythm, scale length, and musical phrases.
Humpback whales are also very good at singing in an "a-b-a" format commonly used by human singers, which involves singing a melody first, then elaborating on it, and then returning to the original melody with a slight modification.
Humpback whales migrate distances of up to tens of thousands of miles (16,093 kilometers) each year, yet they never get lost, and their migration routes are almost straight. The principles behind their navigation have long puzzled people.
"Hoo." The deep, muffled whale call carried a questioning tone.
The white humpback whale looked at the mutated killer whale with some disdain and swung its flippers to drive away the wounded mutated beast.
White humpback whales did exist before the major earthquake. The most famous humpback whale observed by humans was white, named Migalo, a male humpback whale.
The white humpback whale spirit beast in front of them was female and quite old.
The orca wasn't angry; it had healed the mutated beast's wounds and was no longer in mortal danger.
"Angang." Call the children back; it's time.
The orca spirit beast explained the situation on land, and then said earnestly that its reason for being gentle with Lin Qian was simple: it was to preserve the strength of the spirit beasts.
Although the ocean and the land seem far apart, it, having inherited the knowledge, knows that the Eldar should not be divided into ocean and land.
“Okay.”
The humpback whale responded in a deep voice. It too had inherited something from the secret realm. Otherwise, it and the orca wouldn't be getting along so amicably; they would always fight first when they met.
There are countless mutated sea monsters and demonic beasts in the sea, but in the face of a behemoth like a whale, and given the hierarchy, lower-level beings are nothing more than takeout.
Orcas and humpback whales remain the dominant species in the ocean. In fact, thanks to the presence of two level 15 spirit beasts, their populations have not only survived but have grown stronger.
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