Biologist Dr. Joe Roman is obsessed with whales — or more specifically, their poop.
Roman tells The Guardian that his fascination with whale poop began 30 years ago when one of the giant creatures left an “enormous fecal plume” in its wake.
While the experience would’ve kept most of us far away from a whale, if not out of the water completely, it sent him in search of more of the stuff.
Not completely grossed out yet? Read further.
“Whale fecal plumes can be neon green or bright red. At times, they sparkle with silver scales, like the sun glinting on the water,” he writes. “Every whale defecation is unique.”
And, in case you’re curious, Roman says, “The poop of right whales is the strongest and foulest, but I love the smell now.”
Another useful tidbit: “If you get that poop on your clothes, you have to throw them away. You’re never going to wash it out.”
Seriously, Roman says whale poop supplies us with valuable information, not just about the whales, but ecological information about our oceans.
Hey, you do you, Joe.