Many Marine Animals Use Objects As Hats

For humans, hats help provide shade and protect our heads from sun damage. However, humans aren’t the only animal species that has been spotted donning hats. Indeed, the desire to sport a stylish cap is not even limited to mammals! A wide variety of marine animals also use various objects to cover their heads. Read on to discover the fascinating reasons that marine animals choose to don hats.

Whales

Around the world, various whale species have been spotted using seaweed to create hat-like coverage for themselves. The behavior is known as “kelping”, and has been observed being performed by whales in waters around North America and Australia. The behavior has been demonstrated by several different whale species. These include humpback whales, gray whales, northern right whales, and southern right whales. 

“Kelping” involves a whale placing a patch of kelp seaweed across their head. Sometimes, they also drape the seaweed across their bodies. The whale then rolls around in the kelp or simply swims around with their kelp hat in place.

To decode this whale behavior, a team of scientists analyzed over 100 videos of whales in their kelp hats. They found that the whale’s behavior was intentional. While the whales may be simply playing, “kelping” could also help the marine animals remove parasites that accumulate on the mammals’ skin between regular shedding. The friction created by the whales rolling and swimming in the kelp may help dislodge these pests. Seaweed also possesses anti-microbial properties that may help mitigate some of the uncomfortable effects of these parasitic infections. 

Crabs

For roughly 130 crab species in the family Dromiidae, donning hats appears to be a clever plot to thwart predators. These crabs are known as “sponge crabs” due to their habit of using living sea sponges as hats. The crabs create hats out of chunks of sponge that they cut, shape, and affix to the back of their bodies using special spines. 

It is believed that sponge crabs have adopted this fashionable habit as a way to repel predators. Sea sponges are frequently poisonous. Even those that are not are typically avoided by many crab-eating animals. 

Although this may seem like a raw deal for the sponges destined to become crab headwear, there is no evidence that being used as a hat is harmful to them. Once the sponge has been affixed to the crab’s back, it continues to grow. As the sponge grows, it adapts itself to the crab’s body thus providing even more comprehensive camouflage. 

Dolphins

Dolphins are famous for their intelligence. These marine mammals are capable of complex problem-solving, tool use, and even their ability to communicate through language. One other trait that can be added to the list? Protective and provocative headgear.

Like crabs, Shark Bay Australian humpback dolphins have been observed wearing sea sponges as hats. Female members of the group place sponges on their snouts as protection when hunting in rocky areas. 

Male Shark Bay Australian humpback dolphins have also been observed sporting sponges as hats. However, their accessory choice is not based on practicality. Instead, male dolphins have been observed wearing sea sponges as hats while posing with their heads and tails out of the water. This display appears to be an attempt to impress females. 

Despite their jaunty headwear, the male dolphins’ displays don’t seem particularly attractive to the female humpback dolphins. A dolphin researcher from the University of Bristol named Simon Allen said that lady dolphins tend to ignore the males when they display this behavior, despite their sea sponge hats. 

Sea Urchins

Even seen a social media post of a sea urchin in a tiny cowboy hat? Typically, these images are snapped of urchins in aquariums. However, in the wild, sea urchins are also known to don headgear! While the wild urchin’s hats may be less fashion-forward than their aquarium-based buddies, it is much more practical.

Sea urchins in the wild sometimes place rocks or shells on their bodies. This covering is thought to help protect the urchins from predators and sunlight. Additionally, the weight of the urchins’ hats may prevent them from being swept away by ocean currents. 

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