An unlikely duo || Sandwich harbour || Oct 2018

This a close up picture of a Humpback whale that had washed ashore at Sandwitch bay, Namibia. If you look closely the white shell like creatures on the whales skin are actually barnacles. The relationship between these barnacles and humpback whales is an example of commensalism, where one species benefits and the other is unaffected. The barnacle benefits from this relationship because it is provided with a place to live and filter food. The whale seems to be not affected by this, and might even benefit as well. Humpback whales have been known to roll over when being attacked, so the predator is faced with a tough surface of barnacles instead of soft skin.