Sea Serpents - Rulers of the Oceans
Unrivaled Power
Sea Serpents hold dominion over the oceans through their unrivaled strength and intelligence. The males can measure up to forty feet in length, whilst females grow to lengths of fifty feet. They attack with teeth and claw causing hideous damage, and with their tail that can smash through the hull of a trading ship with a single hammer blow. These creatures have attacked ships engaged in battle, looking to destroy or drive away those that dare to invade their domain. In these circumstances, the captains of the vessels form an unspoken and immediate truce as they turn their combined might towards these more powerful enemies. When attacking ships they use their tails for direct crushing hits and also the production of powerful waves to unbalance, flood or topple vessels. The other biggest and strongest denizens of the oceans are simply no match for them. Giant Killer Whales, themselves measuring in at up to thirty feet, have been known to attack these beasts to defend their young but the incredibly hard scales of the serpents cannot be significantly breached by the whales' bite and tail attacks. In a straight battle, the whales are simply torn apart. Fortunately for those that dwell in, or travel on, the sea, Sea Serpents are relatively few in number.Society & Reproduction
Sea Serpents are highly intelligent. They are lone creatures, for the most part, coming together for specific purposes only - to mate or to attack some major threat. Once mated they remain loyal to that individual for life - in the event of the death of their mate, they will not seek another. A typical female serpent will mate only two or three times during their lives. Whilst a welcomingly low statistic to other inhabitants of the sea, and indeed land, there is no definitively known reason why this number is so low. It is thought to be physiological, with females' bodies not able to survive more than a few births; for these serpents do not lay eggs, they produce live young. And these newborns are fully fifteen feet long and come ready equipped with hardened scales, claws, and horns. The females are dominant over the males, displaying greater size and strength. This is believed to be related to the additional size required to birth young. They are not particularly territorial and any encounters between them are peaceful. Communication between them must exist given their occasional coordination for battle. Persons who have survived an encounter recall hearing a screeching sound as the serpents breached the surface of the water. This thunderous sound is deafening and those hearing it have suffered partial and permanent loss of this sense. The sound has never been heard beneath the waves. Given its strength, it would certainly carry a long way and is the most commonly accepted method of communication.Hunting & Survival
Sea Serpents prey on anything they want to, but their favorite source of food is whale and shark. As largely solitary, they hunt alone. They prefer to stalk their prey, singling off individuals from a pack. Their efficiency as swimmers is astounding and they produce virtually no wake, giving their victims little warning of their presence. Their obvious advantages do not require such a stealthy and deliberate approach - perhaps they are using this technique to keep their skills as sharp as their teeth, or for the sport, or to simply relieve boredom. When young are produced, the male parent undertakes all hunting. At this time only, the male develops an ability to match his exact coloration to the waters around him - he becomes invisible. Coupled with the ability to produce little wake, these creatures become the most lethal ocean weapon ever to exist.Basic Details
Population: Unknown but probably lowAppearance: Dark green-black metallic looking scales; larger spinal scales that become horn-like at the base of the skull
Size: 40 to 50 feet in length
Speed: Up to 70 feet per second
Mode of attack: Bite; Claw; Tail (direct impact and power wave)
Life Expectancy: Over 400 years
Known Locations: Serpent Sea; The Secret Sea, in Estyria
Another sea apex predator! I like this article, it's very well tought and I like the fact that the giant dolphin can break the defenses of the creature. Dolphins are cute but scary dangerous when hunting or defending their own.
My main story has a significant ocean element to it, so I liked the idea of a sea predator. Dolphins have been known to defend people against sharks so that behaviour may well feature too.