Whale Fall at the Davidson Octopus Gardens

3D Model

Here is a 3D photogrammetric reconstruction of a young whale that came to rest at the bottom of the ocean near Davidson Sea Mount off of Monterey Bay, CA. The species of this whale is still being determined, but it is speculated to be a young Grey or Humpback Whale, which are often predated upon by Killer Whales in the area. The whale is approximately 4 to 5 meters in length and was found at a depth of over 3000m. Researchers at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the E/V Nautilus happened upon this whale in 2019, while surveying the nearby octopus brooding grounds. Several octopus and species of bone-eating worms, called Osedax, which appear as red fur on the tail section, can be seen scavenging the whale.

This model was reconstructed by a team at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute using approximately 600 still frames from video taken by ROV Hercules and the E/V Nautilus crew.