#bakekujira

Made for the Bones Collab over on Newgrounds.

Based it on a Minke Whale since the Bakekujira is the ghost of a whaled ghost, and Minke Whales are the most commonly whaled whale by Japanese whalers afaik.

Despite the claims that the Bake-kujira is some kind of undead beast or reanimated whale skeleton, it is an actual living creature. It does bring to mind the skeleton of a whale, but it is not dead and it is not mammalian. In truth, the Bake-kujira is an arthropod, whose pale exoskeleton resembles bone. A part of the reason it is labeled as a mysterious and creepy species is because they are rarely seen near the surface waters. Their preferred home is deep down in the dark heart of the ocean, where light barely reaches. On that note, I should mention that it is believed that this weak presence of light is the reason they are this pallid color! Anyways, that is where they spend the majority of their time, in the depths, but there are some occasions where they rise from the deep. During the nights of a particular season, they may swim up to the shallower waters to feed, returning to the dark sea once the sun threatens to appear. Even with a regular migration like this, this species is not often seen, as they don't normally get that close to the surface. Also, they are hard to see in a dark ocean with no light, and you would have to even be out there at such a time to even have a chance to spot them. With observations of them being incredibly rare, we don't have too much information about their lifestyle, but there are a few things we know! For example, every sighting has only revealed a single Bake-kujira, so we are starting to think they are solitary creatures. If they do indeed live in pods, then it must be something they only do in the depths, or we just keep seeing nomadic individuals. We also know that this species is a filter feeder, straining the ocean water for food. So your creepy skeleton monster is only a real terror to krill and such! On their heads, they possess baleen-like structures, which help catch food and sieve out the water. Aiding in this effort is their front most pair of limbs, which are greatly elongated and possess the same baleen. These limbs are slung under the head, making the "jaw" of the skull, and also comb the water for food. Behind all that is a series of appendages that are designed for swimming, helping propel the Bake-kujira through the water. The largest pair of these swimmers are used when the creature needs a burst of speed, launching itself forward rapidly to catch a cloud of food off guard. Most of the time, it seems that this large pair remains still, while the smaller ones hidden beneath its body do all the work. This method of swimming adds to their creepy image, as it looks like the creature is drifting lifelessly through the water. While they sift the water for food, they make sure that they themselves don't wind up on the menu. Their already tough exoskeleton sprouts rows of spikes that run down its body, making it tough for large predators to take a bite. If they somehow can avoid getting a mouthful of pointy bits, they still have to penetrate its armor. This is something they need to do fast, as the Bake-kujira will fight back by thrashing its spiny body about. Most predators don't wish to be sliced up by this leviathan, so they are often left in peace. This same armor is what makes panicking whalers think they are invincible, as harpoons simply bounce off them. The other reason this weaponry fails is because most of the time they are thrown out of desperation, as the sailors believe they are being attacked by a malevolent spirit. You don't exactly have the best aim and mindset when you think a skeletal demon is coming to eat your ship. With all the details I mentioned before, like the similarities to a whale skeleton and their impenetrable hide, you can see why folk around these regions find them unsettling and creepy. Some think that they are a vengeful spirit that has returned from the dead to destroy whalers, while others have accepted they are a living species but one that is terrifying to see. No matter the reasoning, almost everyone agrees that this species is a bad omen whenever they are seen. I have mentioned that sightings are rare and they never really get close to the surface, but sometimes the conditions are just right (or wrong, in this situation). All sightings of living specimens have the Bake-kujira swimming right there on the surface, where anyone can see. Indeed it is rare, but it is also wrong. They have no reason to be this close to the surface, as there is plenty of food for them below. If they have nothing to gain up here, why do they sometimes do it? Well, we think it may not be their choice. The reason Bake-kujira are seen as terrible omens is because powerful storms seem to follow in their wake or bouts of sickness occur in local villages around where they were sighted. For the longest time, it was believed that they brought these disasters with them, but now we think their appearance is a response to these environmental changes.