FOCUS: SEA CRITTERS WE'RE DIGGIN'

Making a list of sea creatures we fancy is hard. How can we not like them all? It’s impossible to choose between turtles, sunfish, sea leopards and sea horses, dolphins, penguins, mantas, cods and sea worms – they are all just perfect in their own weird ways. The sheer span of how amazing aquatic life is can floor us – but! we have selected a few favorite weirdos that we totally love.

BABY SHARK, DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO

Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes, from the dwarf lantern shark (which is smaller than the average human hand) to the whale shark that holds first place in the world's biggest fish competition. Congrats, you big fish! Sharks are beautiful creatures with a bite. And speaking of jaws, sharks don't need to worry about the dentist. Did you know that they continually replace their teeth throughout their life? Sharks have been swimming around for 440 million years. It’s beyond sad that up to 100 million sharks are killed annually, mostly due to the fish industry.

Curious about sharks and how they travel the globe? Check out Unama’ki’s whereabouts. This female white shark, spanning 15 feet 5 inches long and weighing 2,076 pounds, occasionally swims by both Nova Scotia and Louisiana. Why? Because she can, probably.

EULAGISCA GIGANTEA

This little frilly fellow is also known as the Antarctic scale worm. Fancily dressed as a Christmas ornament with golden fringes, this cutie definitely deserves to be on our list. It is the biggest one of its species, and can grow up to 8 inches long. Its jaw gives away that this is a predatory worm, and it’s got a neck that stretches out. We love its resemblance to “Alien” and that it lives deep down in the arctic water, proving what a badass it is.

AXOLOTL

No wonder this little guy made the rounds on the internetz because, I mean – look how cute!! Oh, Mexico, we love you for this ”walking fish” that’s not a fish, but an amphibian. Groovy costume – the Axolotl changes color and can be seen in various outfits ranging from dark grey to powder pink to soft creamy white. What sass!

PENGUINS

Aquatic birds in tuxedos, yes sir, they have a special place in our hearts. The James Bonds of the flying fauna, except flying isn’t their best game. Underwater though, these formal chickens excel! The fastest underwater swimmer of all penguins is the Gentoo penguin that can reach top speeds of 22 miles per hour. We also really dig how the penguin was portrayed by Danny DeVito in Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns”. A scarier bird has not hit the big screen since.

CLOWNFISH

Clownfish, or anemonefish, live in symbiosis with sea anemones. They live together and benefit from one another. The sea anemone provides food and shelter for the fish and, in return, the clownfish protects the anemone against predators and parasites. Clownfish live in a group with a dominant hierarchy where the largest female is the top dog. Fun fact about clownfish: they are sequential hermaphrodites meaning they start out as male and turn female. If the top dog female dies, the biggest male in the group changes its sex and becomes the next female boss. And just like in the movie "Finding Nemo" (about and overprotecting dad searching for his son), in the clownfish family, the dad is the caretaker of the fish babies. Cute!