No doubt about it, whales are some of the most incredible animals on the planet.

Some of these amazing mammals can reach truly colossal sizes, which makes them the undisputed kings of the ocean.

And it's not just their size that sets them apart.

The longest recorded dive of a whale is some 222 minutes long. That makes

the human record of 24 minutes look like child's play. And sperm whales, for example, are able

to dive up to depths of 6,562 feet, while the record for a human dive is just 1,090 feet.

But they only manage that with the aid of oxygen tanks and years of training.

So when it comes to living in the ocean, whales have us beat, flippers down.

And with few natural predators, the ocean is a pretty happy home for most whales, except nearly 2,000 whales

and dolphins beach themselves on the shore every year. Sadly, many of these amazing animals

perish, unable to survive out of their watery domain. It doesn't make sense, though. Why is this

happening? And why does it keep happening? What else is

lurking out in the ocean? What is driving these creatures to flee from the sea? If you want to find out,

then grab your goggles and hold your breath as we dive into this mystery and many more like it.

You're listening. You're listening. You're listening to be amazed.

Okay, let's get down to basics.

Whales are cetaceans, part of an order of entirely aquatic mammals that are perfectly adapted to live in the ocean, like nature's submarines.

They have streamlined bodies that are able to sail through the water, flippers to aid in steering, and giant tails to powerfully propel them forwards.

However, on the flip side, all of these adaptations can make beaching a death sentence for a whale.

No longer supported by the buoyancy of water, a whale's body will crush itself under its own weight on land.

With their circulation restricted, this results in a deadly toxin buildup in the whale's blood.

Whales also have a bulky layer of blubber. In some species, it's 11 inches

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