Big Ocean Animals (with National Geographic Explorer Tierney Thys)

What big ocean animals are making you happy today? What giant fish is covered in smelly mucus and can suck its eyeballs into its head? What whale gave Laura chills?  In honor of World Oceans Day, Laura and Rob chat about a special whale and a giant fish, plus you’ll hear a song about the ocean fish (also known as Mola mola), a game show about ocean animal sounds, awesome animal clues from fan Leilani and an interview with special guest Tierney Thies, a National Geographic Explorer and a research fellow with the California Academy of Sciences.

The Happiest Animal Show (on Planet Earth) is a comedy podcast for kids and families who love wildlife, with original animal songs, stories, jokes and special guests from comedians to scientists to kids. If you like killer whales, giant manta rays, humpback whales, ocean sunfish or golden plovers, you might really like this episode!

Full Episode Transcript (and please forgive any typos)

And now for an animal joke. Why did the whale cross the ocean? Why did the whale cross the ocean? The answer is.

Going to be revealed at the end of the episode. But first, get your ears ready, it’s the Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth. The Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth. You want to be sad? No! Do you want to be glad? No. Wait. Yes. Well, it’s the Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth. . Hello and welcome to the Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth, the podcast that asks the very important question. What animal is making you happy today?

Not yesterday, not even last night, but today. I'm Rob and I'm Laura. And we are a sister brother pair of zoologists, filmmakers and songwriters. We are here to explore the wonderful world of wildlife and discover why animals make us happy. On this episode, we are celebrating World Oceans Day with some of our favorite big ocean animals.

You'll hear a song about an animal that looks like a giant dinner plate with wings, and we'll talk to a very special guest, Tierney Thies about a bizarro fish that is making her happy. Here we go. What animal is making you happy today? I want to know. On today's episode, we are celebrating World Oceans Day. So happy World Oceans Day, everybody.

And the theme we gave ourselves is Big ocean animals. Yelling really narrows it down. Laura, why don't you go first? What big ocean animal is making you happy today? Here we go. Clues. Okay, first it's a whale. Clue number one. It's a whale. All right. You got to figure out the kind of whale. Great. So, number two, it lives in all the oceans all over the world.

Okay? It's all over the place. Great. Clue three. It has the tallest dorsal fin of any of the whales. And the dorsal fin is the fin that's on its back and sticks up out of the water. If you're wondering what a dorsal fin is, it's the tallest. All right, so I already already know what it is. And the other clue I have is that it is black and white.

The ocean panda. Yeah. You nailed it. No. So you chose the orca, also known as a killer whale. Yes. I picked a killer whale. Killer whale? That is an awesome pick for World Oceans Day. Why are killer whales making you happy? They're making me happy because I think it's so cool that they are the top predator in the ocean.

Meaning great white sharks are afraid of them. And I love that so much. I love the idea that a killer whale just swimming into an area that has great white sharks, the great white shark. So just be like, nah, I'm getting out of here. We're going to go somewhere else for a while. Yeah, it commands respect wherever it goes.

Yeah. The great white sharks leave. Orcas are the ultimate force to be reckoned with. Let's let's list some of their animal awesomeness. Okay. Animal awesomeness. Here we go. They are big. I think they get up to around 30ft. They have giant dorsal fins on their backs. They can get up to, like, six feet tall. That's taller than you.

That's a hilarious thing to be sticking out of your back. Yeah, they're bigger than me. Yeah. They're fast, they're smart. They communicate with each other with language. They use sonar. They've got a lot of, as you said, animal awesomeness. A true icon of the ocean. And there are also specialized orca family groups around the world, even some that live in the open ocean.

Right. But here in the Pacific Northwest we tend to think of two kinds. Right. So we have the residents which eat fish they live in big family groups are loud, they're chatty, they're social, and then they're the other ones that are the transients or the big killer whales. And they live in smaller groups and they eat mammals like seals and sea lions.

They even eat other whales. So they're sneaky and they're quiet. Yeah. Quick question for you, Rob. And for all of you listening at home, what kind of killer whale would you want to be? Would you like to be a residence or living in a big group eating fish? Or would you rather be one of the transients that just kind of hangs out with a couple other killer whales and super sneaky while you try to eat mammals like seals and sea lions?

I think I'd like to be a resident. I want to be in a big family group and be like, super playful and noisy, jumping around and having a good time. Yeah, it's hard to have somebody to be like, we're going to go hunting. Yeah, I think I pick a family to be more fun, to be loud. One of the few times in my life that I've ever gotten chills all over my body from seeing an animal was when we saw killer whales in Alaska, and it was a total surprise.

Yeah, it was the big killer whales, the mammal eaters. I remember it was really eerie because just like suddenly three dorsal fins were cruising by. Yes. They just came out silently out of the water. These super tall, black, pointy dorsal fins. And there were three of them, which meant there were three killer whales. And then they just swam right by the boat.

It felt like they were out hunting. You know, that was one of those really special encounters because we weren't out looking for them. Orcas are definitely one of those animals that I would travel long distances. I would go to other parts of the world on an expedition just to see orcas, because they're that majestic. It's worth it's worth it to go see them.

Yeah. So that's my pick. Killer whales. Great pick. We'll find out what I picked right after this. It's time for everybody's favorite game show, Rainbow Sound.

What is making this sound? I'm.

Andy, who are you? What is it? Hey, a humpback whale be an elephant seal. Or see your uncle moaning when he realizes the cookie jar is empty. And the answer is a. It's the song of a male humpback whale. Hold on. I need to talk to the judges. Yeah. Could you check my cookie jar? It is empty. Looks like I need to stop at the store on the way home.

Until next time. Thanks for playing everybody's favorite game show. Ray. That sound. And we are back. Rob, I'm on pins and needles. I'm on sea urchins and needle fish. Wondering what big animal did you pick for World Oceans Day? Well, my animal, interestingly enough, is also black and white. What? Yeah, and my animal also has been measured up to nearly 30ft long.

Whoa. Yeah. Well, I should say, really 30ft wide. What? Yeah. My animal has more of a diamond shaped to its body, and it has a skeleton made of cartilage. Okay, this is a good clue for me. So is it a type of shark? It is not a shark. Is it a type of ray? It is a ray.

Yeah, okay. It's a fish and it's a ray. And it's shaped like a diamond and 30ft wide with his big gaping mouth. Is it a giant manta ray? Ding ding ding. Yes, it is a giant manta.

Ray, that is a great pick. I didn't even think of that when I was thinking about this episode. Yeah. What does the grandma in Moana turn into? Turns into? Yeah, she turns into a manta. Does she? I love that part. Towards the end of her journey and her grandma shows up as a manta ray, all sparkly and just swims right under the boat.

Oh yeah? Yeah. I mean, if I could come back as an animal, a manta would be kind of the perfect choice. Yeah, it's like you could fly. You're flying underwater all the time. Rob, why do giant manta rays make you happy? Manta rays are like the spirits of the ocean. And when you're in the presence of a manta ray, it's a magical feeling.

It's really special. And I mean, honestly, the thought in my mind every single time I'm with a manta is I can't believe I'm here right now. Yeah. Interesting. This is incredible. Yeah. That I get to do this right now. It's like the manta ray has chosen you like I'm going to come see you. Yeah. One of my favorite encounters was in Hawaii and it was the sun was going down.

The light was kind of coming through the water and this beautiful kind of dazzling light rays flashing around. And a group of mantas showed up and they were just following each other, and I, I free dove down underneath them to get a look at what they looked like under underneath. And one of them got spooked a little bit and pooped on me.

A magical manta poop. But I took it as a sign of good luck. I think it was. It's kind of like good luck when a bird poops on, you know, all that good luck that you get when birds poop on you. Yeah. Isn't that a thing? I always say it's a thing. If bird poops right on you, it's good luck.

So I think if you end up swimming through a cloud of manta ray poop, that's extra good luck. Yeah, I'd say the theme so far our episode is just like magical encounters with animals that you don't see very often. And then when you see them, it really makes you feel like something special has happened. Yeah. All right. So Manta Ray was Rob's pick.

A wonderful choice for a big ocean animal. Thank you Laura. And now it's time for a song. Here's a song I wrote about one of my all time favorite big ocean animals, the Mola mola, or ocean Sunfish. This song turned out a little bit like if the band Coldplay had decided to have a second career as marine biologists, and joy.

I've traveled the world. Sailed every sea. Thought I had seen all there is to see. Then I saw your face. And I couldn't believe how a fish like you could ever come to be. Mola mola. Now you’re swimming through my dreams. Mola mola, like a dinner plate with wings. Mola mola. . How I wish that I could be a mola mola, mola mola. Mola mola, I can't believe my eyes. Mola mola, at your enormous size, Mola mola. Nothing else is like a mola mola, mola mola.

You look just like two enormous fins attached to a head, but without the body, the largest bony fish , up to 14ft, 5,000 pounds, eating mostly jellies. Mola mola. Now you’re swimming through my dreams. Mola mola, like a dinner plate with wings. Mola mola. . How I wish that I could be a mola mola, mola mola.

I can't believe my eyes. Mola mola, at your enormous size, Mola mola. Nothing else is like a mola mola, mola mola.

From the surface above to the blue below. No, you're like ghost. Tell me, where do you go? If I could make a wish. And have it come true. I want to be a fish like you. Mola mola, like a dinner plate with wings. Mola mola. . How I wish that I could be a mola mola, mola mola.

I can’t believe my eyes. Mola mola, at your enormous size, Mola mola. Nothing else is like a mola mola, mola mola. Before we get on with the show, here's a quick message for the grownups. And we are back. It's that time in the show for the happiest Fanimal, where a fan like you gives us clues for what?

Animals making them happy. Today's submission is from five year old Leilani from Kihei, Hawaii. And here are the clues. Clue number one. This animal wears a tuxedo. Clue number two. It flies super fast. Clue number three. It knows how to fly from Alaska to Hawaii. Clue number four. It travels super far and goes back to the same lawn or grassy patch every trip.

And the answer is a bird called the Golden pullover. The golden plover makes Leilani happy because it doesn't stop flying all the way from Alaska to Hawaii. And it's so tiny. How does it do that? Thanks for your submission, Leilani and Grown-Ups. If you or your family would like to submit a happiest animal, visit our website at Happiest Animal Show.

Com. Our special guest today is Tierney Thies, a National Geographic Explorer and research associate at the California Academy of Sciences. We are lucky to have her. Tiffany. Thank you for joining us on The Happiest Animal Show. Yay! I'm happy to be here. So Tierney here's the big question. What animal is making you happy today? Well, I have many animals that make me happy every day.

So it's hard to choose just one. One animal that I've been studying for many years is the ocean sunfish. Ocean sunfish? That's such a great pick. I love ocean sunfish so much. They're also called molas. Yes. I love how bonkers they look. They're big and they're just the most weird looking fish. It's so cool to know that weirdo animals like that exist out there.

Yeah. I mean, Rob loves them. I gave Rob them all a sweatshirt for Christmas. So why do ocean sunfish make you happy? For so many reasons. Makes me happy. I started studying it about 30 years ago, and I never thought I'd spend three decades of my life studying it, but it's. Well, this makes me happy. For people listening who have not seen an ocean sunfish or a mola.

How would you describe what they look like? Well, say they're they're, a swimming head with no tail, but a tail to tell. It moves mainly with its big fins. It's like a swimming head with fins. Yeah. And, yeah, that's the way I've always thought of them. Strange things about them. Like their backbone is completely fuzed. Wow. It's solid.

It's like it got a rod through its back. It doesn't. Yeah. It's not able to move it. It just moves us. Fins both a little peg fins by its chest and then little ones. But it can't wiggle its backbone like so. It can't really wiggle like a fish. It's just the only way it moves is its fins.

Its fins. It's like a little tank with fins. And they can actually move quite quickly when they want to and fly up out of the water, clear water by three body lengths. No way they can jump. They can jump out of the water. They can breathe. Wow. Yes, that must be a sight. The snake didn't flap down and make these loud slapping noises.

Fish cannonball! That's awesome. But it people think they're, lethargic. Slacker or clumsy? Clunky, ugly. And when you get to know them, they are nothing of the sort. They have an interesting diet where they eat all sorts of things when they're little, and then when they get to be a meter, then they start to specialize on jellies. They can eat, they can eat.

You know, Portuguese man of war. The animals sting everyone else, but they just they can do it, come down and have tentacles all over their face. And it's like, oh, this is giving me serious Superman vibes. Clark Kent, right? Seems clumsy, nerdy, overlooked. But then you realize he's Superman and he can fly and battle alien type creatures.

This is like a mullet. So someone, someone out there needs to write a story called, you know, mole Love and Truth, jellies and the ocean way. Yeah. He wears glasses, and you can't tell that it's a mole. So he takes his glasses off. Wait a second. Where did this giant fish come from? Yeah. So somebody out there write a story about a mole?

A man, battling a Portuguese man of war or something? And then eating it. Yeah. You get. Right. So many fun things about molars. Tierney, you told me something interesting about their eyes. What's that? They. Yes. They have these muscles that can. They can pull their eyes deep into their socket. What? Yeah. They suck their eyeballs back into their head, their eyeballs, skin, eyes, big eyes for their size and their visual properties.

But they do have this ability to pull those eyes and protect them from those stinging tentacles. Yeah. Wow. That's a really cool trick for their bodies when they're eating a Portuguese man of war. Are they getting stung? Do they have a protection against that? What? Why don't they care about it? Well, they have a lot of thick mucus.

And that mucus has, a pungent smell. So, I was doing some work at the Monterey Bay aquarium during graduate school. I took on that pungent smell. Oh, yeah. All right. I'm smelling like mole every night. I got some funny nicknames from the staff. Yeah, yeah. So for those of us listening who have are not familiar with the ocean sunfish, are they also called mola mola?

Well, there's there's multiple species of ocean sunfish. One species is called the mola mola. Okay. And then there's other ones, the Mola alexandrini, the Mola tecta, the Ranzania Laevis and the Masturus Lanceolotus. Okay, that's that's all the mola in the family of Molidae. Those are hilarious genus species names. Mola alexandrina. That's going to become my new international spy name.

It sounds like a character from an Indiana Jones movie. Yeah, she would double cross you and Mola Tecta was it? Mola Tecta is going to become a DJ name Mola tecta to spin some serious ocean beats. Yeah. Then Masterus lanceolotus sounds like Knights of the Round Table, right? Like right. I now dubbed the Knight of the Round Fish table.

For those of you listening out there, what Mola genus species name would you most like to have if you could have one of these names? Mola alexandrina Mola Tecta, Ranzania Laevis, Masterus Lanceolotus and don't forget the mola mola. Yes, but the sunfish has all sorts of other interesting things. I mean, it is the world's heaviest bony fish.

There are other bigger fish, like the whale shark. But then you got bony, right? Well we do. Yeah. Well, sir. So that's cartilage. Yes. Yeah, yeah, but this is a bony fish. So, you know, everything like tunas and halibut are your standard, more standard kind of fish. And it's the heaviest of the bony fishes getting to be over 6,000 pounds.

And that's a pretty new world record. One washed up in Horta which is in the Azores. And, it was over 6,000 pounds. Wow. A mola can weigh more than a great white shark. Oh, yes. Awesome. Yes. When you're when you've studied molas and you've had a chance to touch one, what is the what does it feel like when you touch?

Oh, they are very rough. It looks mola mola is very rough skinned. They're related to porcupine fishes and puffer fish who have plates. And on their plates, their skin have little, you know, hooks, hooks and spines on them. So it's like this tide. There can be inches, like two inches thick. Whoa. And it's like no other fish skin I've ever seen.

Yeah, just so many interesting things about it. And then what questions, are you trying to answer about Molas? You've been studying them for 30 years. What are the questions you have about them? Well, we're still really interested in their longevity, how long they live. Because it's not really known. There have been some papers that say they can live upwards of 80 years, but we don't know that for sure.

That's what's exciting about the ocean, is there's still so much to discover. Oh my gosh, we've only just really seen about 5% of the ocean with our own eyes, and it's 99% of the living space on this planet. And so you flip that around. We land loving, desiccated humans. We, we just live on 1% of the available living space of this planet.

Yeah. And look what we're doing to it. Our planet is an ocean planet, and we really don't know what's going on in there. Lots of work and lots of good science, but so much more to discover. What I've discovered today is that an ocean sunfish looks like a swimming head. It can't wiggle its body. It can suck its eyeballs back into its head so it doesn't get stung by things like Portuguese man or while it's eating it.

Its skin, is so rough that it's astonishing and weighs more than a great white shark, and it has these long teeth in its throat. Oh, for for helping catch jellies. Yes, because it's actually spits and doesn't want those jellies crawling out of its gullet. Well, thank you, Tierney for being here on the Happiest Animals show. This was a huge treat for us.

Oh, totally. My pleasure. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for the answer to our animal joke of the day. Why did the whale cross the ocean? Do you have a guess? The answer is. To get to the other side.

And before we go, remember, we live on a beautiful planet. So go out and find what makes you happy today.

Hey, Grown-Ups, we know you're busy, but if you like our show, we'd love for you to tell your friends and family about it. It's the best way for our podcast to grow and grown ups. You can also follow us on social media at Happiest Animal Show, or check out other fun things on our website, like how to submit an animal and how to get merch.

Visit Happiestanimalshow.com. The Happiest Animal Show is created by Laura Sams, Robert Sams, and Dave Cain produced by Sisbro Studios, hosted and directed by Laura Sams and Robert Sams, and written by Laura Sams, Robert Sams with story editor Dave Cain. And with only a little help from our cat walking across the keyboard. Now let’s talk music.

Original music is written and performed by zero time Grammy Award winning songwriters Laura Sams and Robert Sams, except for the end credits music which was written by Laura and Rob’s Grandma Max, and the joke answer suspense music was written by David Schultz. The theme song was written and performed by Laura and Rob and mixed by Jason Wells of Audio Wells.

Thanks for listening. You're the best.