Journal ·
How deep the guardians go
The sea turtle, the octopus and the whale shark knitted into the Deep Water Guardian socks, and the deepest dive recorded for each: 110 m, 180 m and 1,928 m.
Three animals are knitted into the Deep Water Guardian socks: a sea turtle, an octopus and a whale shark. All three live in the water off Western Australia. Here is how deep each of them has been recorded, and a few things worth knowing about them.
The turtle, 110 m
Green turtles spend most of their day in shallow water, grazing on seagrass and algae. An active turtle comes up to breathe every few minutes. A resting one can stay on the bottom for hours. About 110 m is the deepest dive usually quoted for a green turtle, far below the seagrass beds where it feeds.
On the sock the turtle is knitted in green, with a band of seaweed around the cuff.
The octopus, 180 m
The common octopus lives from rock pools down to around 180 m, on the continental shelf. It has three hearts and blue blood, because its blood carries oxygen with copper where ours uses iron. It has no bones, so it can pass through any gap wider than its beak. Most live for one to two years.
On the sock the octopus is knitted in rust, with a row of shells around the cuff.
The whale shark, 1,928 m
The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea. It feeds on plankton, krill and small fish, which it filters from the water while swimming with its mouth open. The pattern of spots on its back is different on every animal, and researchers use photos of it to tell individuals apart.
Every year, from about March to July, whale sharks gather off Ningaloo Reef, some 1,200 km north of Perth. They feed near the surface there. Tags fitted to whale sharks have also recorded them diving far below it: 1,928 m is the deepest so far, in water at about 4 °C.
On the sock the whale shark is knitted in blue, with bubbles around the cuff.
The socks
The designs are knitted into the sock as part of the fabric, so they keep their shape and colour in the wash. The yarn is 85% cotton, 12% nylon and 3% elastane, and one size fits most adult feet. They are sold as single pairs or as a trio with one pair of each design, on the Deep Water Guardian socks page.
The same three animals are on the Deep Water Guardian tee and the Deep Water Guardian cap, both on pre-order.
