While exploring the #deepsea around #WakeAtoll during the NA181 expedition, our remotely operated vehicles helped the Corps of Exploration spot multiple fossilized #sharkteeth. Found at depths between 4,587 meters (15,049 feet) and 5,016 meters (16,457 feet), these teeth are covered in a dark coating similar to the nearby seafloor rocks. This is called a ferromanganese crust - a natural, black mineral deposit that precipitates very slowly from seawater and coats objects found on the deep ocean f

While exploring an Unnamed Seamount ~60 nautical miles southeast of #WakeIsland, thousands of meters beneath the surface, we encountered a few unique aquatic friends. #Halosaurs (family Halosauridae) are eel-shaped fish that only live in waters so deep that we only really see them thanks to ROVs like our own Hercules. We spotted this individual at 3,789 meters (12,431 feet) deep.

3 Giant Sea Mammals! 🐋 Manatee, Blue Whale & Humpback Fun Facts