Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem

by Melissa Stewart, Rob Dunlavey (Illustrator)

This fascinating nonfiction picture book filled with stunning illustrations details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea.

When a whale dies, its massive body silently sinks down, down, through the inky darkness, finally coming to rest on the silty seafloor. For the whale, it's the end of a 70-year-long life. But for a little-known community of deep-sea dwellers, it's a new beginning. First come the hungry hagfish, which can smell the whale from miles around. Then the sleeper sharks begin their prowl, feasting on skin and blubber. After about six months, the meat is gone. Year after year, decade after decade, the whale nourishes all kinds of organisms from zombie worms to squat lobsters to deep-sea microbes.

This completely fascinating real-life phenomenon is brought to vivid and poetic life by nonfiction master Melissa Stewart and acclaimed illustrator Rob Dunlavey.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Nature, Childrens, Stem

34 pages, Hardcover

First published March 14, 2023

About the author

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science and nature books for children. She offers a wide range of programs for schools, libraries, nature centers, and conferences. www.melissa-stewart.com"

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly educational and interesting look at what happens to a whale's body after it dies and sinks to the ocean floor. There are numerous -- and some pretty bizarre -- life forms involved in this enormous recycling project.

[Claire Wrobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the idea of writing about this ecosystem but I think some things could’ve been clearer. I think a timeline would’ve been helpful, or maybe a food chain showing what eats what. I’m glad they included the different species at the back. The fact that so much is still unknown about this ecosystem is so crazy.

[Jilanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is superb, including the microscopic images that even many marine biologists have not yet seen. And the narrative behind what happens when a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor is fascinating. The way their bodies turn into an entire ecosystem that will feel a series of different animals for over 50 years is unbelievable—but true! The names of these critters are kid-friendly, too. Who wants to know more about zombie worms? I do! I do!!

[Tiuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting lol…sort of a morbid premise. I’m a whale fanatic so it’s the cover that drew me, though unfortunately no living whales were pictured in this book. But fascinating still and very unique. Like that old deep sea BBC documentary in a book. Remarkably…no evolution. Definitely would pair well with ocean studies.

* sea pig detail, & mussel detail

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is interesting I guess, but the subject matter just does not work for me. The pictures are all so dark and dreary, obviously because it is the bottom of the sea. It is cool that so much life results from the death of a whale, but to me the lifeforms described range from slightly creepy to outright disgusting. Not what I want in a picture book.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating information on the different sea creatures that feed on dead whale bodies. The illustrations feature lots of dark blues with a few spots of color on some of the undersea creatures. The back matter gives further info on each sea creature. The bibliography includes books, articles and videos.

[Patricia Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feared this would be a sad read—but, it’s actually FASCINATING!

Through this book, readers learn all about the new underwater ecosystem created by a whale’s death.

For many creatures—especially those delightfully peculiar ones that call the deep sea home—a whale fall is a bounty of resources. It can help whole communities of creatures thrive for decades.

Beautiful and atmospheric illustrations bring this unique world to life and allow readers to learn about what each creature who benefits from a whale fall looks like.

At the end of this story, there’s a very helpful guide of all the creatures mentioned as well as a note about the still very mysterious nature of whale falls.

This is a perfect choice for all readers, especially those who are curious about our world and the many creatures we share it with. I found this to be a very thoughtful introduction to the “circle of life” and a great story to launch larger discussions about our world from~

[A C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stylistic in art and word choice, Stewart and Dunlavey appeal to younger children with this book, with plenty of further interesting tidbits and sources to follow up with for the more interested in the back of this book

[Melinda Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at when a whale dies it provides food and shelter to so many sea creatures for up to 50 years. Amazing story.

[Jennifer Ingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book adds to my awe of the natural world.

[Emma Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for my 2025 battle of the books list and thought it was a pretty good book!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gray whale falls to the ocean floor in this lovely work of natural history for the picture book set, creating an ecosystem that will feed hundreds of deep-sea species over the course of fifty years. The simple text describes how hagfish, sleeper sharks, rattails and eelpouts all feast on the whale's skin and blubber, while smaller creatures like amphipods strip the bones bare. The bones themselves provide a feast, to creatures like zombie worms, and droplets of whale oil sustain sea cucumbers. While all of these creatures feast, others are drawn to the whale fall to feast on them, in a cycle of sustenance lasting decades. The book concludes with six pages of back matter, describing all the species named in greater detail, and giving further resources and reading ideas...

Published in 2023, author Melissa Stewart and illustrator Rob Dunlavey's Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem was followed in short order by the 2024 Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall , from author Lynn Brunelle and illustrator Jason Chin. This often seems to happen in the children's book world, with multiple titles coming out in quick succession about the same topic. In any case, I read the two picture books in tandem, and enjoyed both. This one focuses on a gray whale, whereas the Brunelle/Chin title looks at a blue whale. The text here is much simpler than in the other book, and better suited for younger picture book audiences, although more information is given in the back matter. There are some fascinating facts presented there, such as the fact that male zombie worms live inside female ones, or that sea cucumbers can create glowing bands of blue light. The accompanying artwork from Dunlavey, creating using watercolor, mixed media and digital tools, is lovely. Although on the while I do prefer Life After Whale (it is more detailed, and boasts the illustrations of Jason Chin, whose work I love!), I think this one makes a better introduction to the topic, for picture book audiences five or under. More advanced picture book audiences would benefit from the other book, perhaps read in conjunction with this one.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This particular tale explores what happens when a whale dies and how the ocean's denizens take care of its sunken body. First of all since of so much of my prior Woke reads I was truly expecting this book to be completely different than what I received so as a result I have to thank Melissa Stewart for not going that route on making it a book about returning carbon to the seabed.

Instead the reader finds out that a whale has died with no backstory or identification made as the creature's body is just the means to an end. As a result the reader is pulled into the story with who appears for dinner, how they respond to the meal the body provides and a mention of how long it may be for some of the animals to appear thus slowly approaching the clean-up of the bones.

Since it is in the depths the reader will find the pages are full-colored although in darker hues thus allowing the bones to stand out. Furthermore each animal is shown where you can clearly differentiate it from the others in details and in some cases for the really small the reader will find an insert that makes them bigger to look at such as the amphipod. Andn finally the blobfish isn't misportrayed.

The story wraps up with a five-page collection that gives more explanation about whale falls and also an insight into the various species that were portrayed in this book. As a result the reader will find each species provided with its common name, its scientific name, size, diet, predators, lifespan and a brief note providing some more insight into the species. This on its own was quite fascinating to me since it allows the reader to also see these animals much closer than as was shown in the text.

This was an interesting read and will probably be more attractive to children who like animals, especially those found in the depths. And as such it would also make for a great addition to any personal or scientific library while contributing to reader's knowledge who may be learning about ocean biomes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most youngsters are intrigued by whales, partly because of their size but also because of how different they are from many other sea creatures. Certainly, they are an important part of the ocean ecosystem, but it's unlikely that most readers, whether they are young or old, realize the part these creatures play after their death. Accompanied by a mostly blue palette of eye-catching artwork created with watercolor, mixed media, and digital tools, Whale Fall describes what happens to the whale's body over the next fifty years as it rests on the bottom of the ocean. One by one, over time, various marine dwellers are drawn to the carcass, seeking a meal: first, the hagfish and sleeper sharks, followed by roughscale rattails, snubnose eelpouts, and tanner crabs, all scavengers. They're followed by amphipods, hooded shrimp, and deep-sea microbes. It's clear that different species dine on different parts of the whale during this process. Back matter includes additional information about each of the hungry guests who visit the whale although it's also clear that what is known about some of them is minimal. While I liked this book a lot--3.5 for me--I wish there had been a timeline in the back matter as well as clearer illustrations or accompanying diagrams showing the harvesting of the different whale parts. Still, this one will have the eyes of young readers widening in amazement at what the whale provides to others after its death.

[Karen Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

So little is known about the depths of the ocean, but now we have a fabulous picture book that takes us there! In dark, muted blues and black we journey with the artist of this picture book to the barely visible ocean floor where a downed whale has died and sunk. Page-by-page we see the animal feast that the whales body provides to the myriad of creatures that find sustenance over the course of years. Hagfish start the cycle, then sleeper sharks are attracted by the smell. An underwater circus menagerie are part of the system, and the names of some are more fun than readers will expect. Squat lobsters, pink sea pigs, blob sculpin! Oh, my!! Pretty soon Stewart moves on to the microbial, and eventually there is nothing left but for the cycle to begin anew.

Several pages of back matter revisit the many creatures featured in the main narrative, and a list of many qualities for each includes their lifespans, sizes, scientific names and more. Further reading and resources are appended.

The simple text and pacing make this book accessible for the early elementary crowd, but the distillation of information here could be a satisfying starter for oceanic students of all ages.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the beauty of how nature takes care of so much, this time after a whale dies. Melissa Stewart takes readers on an amazing journey after a whale dies and falls to the ocean's bottom. From that time, the books ends with this giant totally disappearing from many, many sea creatures using it for their sustenance. Melissa explains what and how, step by step. Rob Dunlavey's illustrations illuminate the ocean habitat's beauty page after page, starting with those who first smell the whale, like the hungry hagfish. They travel far to find what might be their first meal in weeks, per Melissa's words. The whale may have lived for long years, but this time, in a way, it gives back for perhaps another fifty. From hagfish to the tiniest of creatures, "hundreds of species–millions of creatures" have been able to live because of the whale dying. There is much more information in the backmatter with many creatures illustrated and described, plus selected resources and a list of books, articles, books, and videos for further exploration. It's terrific and really wonderful to read and learn about this.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a strong stomach to read, if you ask me. Be prepared. The first page, a whale dies. I wasn't ready and it was sad.

The whole book is about the ecosystem that is around the giant buffets for the next 50 years. There are plenty of creatures that survive on the bones of a whale. I mean, I had no idea about any of these creatures. I did learn so much with this book. I was stunned on every page.

It's a great book for Halloween as each new animal and how they eat this whale seemed sort of grissly and the creatures were so alien. Wow. I just had no idea about any of this. It was gross and fascinating at the same time. I also learned so much.

The artwork is watercolor, mixed media and digiti tools to make these weird and strange animals. The artwork was amazing, though about a very macabre subject. These alien fishes were so gross and ugly at times. Others were stunningly beautiful. Seeing a crab scavenging like this, in my head I'm thinking, I can't believe I eat that.

For older kids. Any kind interesting in science and how things work in the world will enjoy this.

[Marjorie Ingall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whale falls are having a moment! Two picture books, a YA novel and an adult novel in 2023-24!

Comparing the two picture books, I liked Whale Fall’s text better than Life After Whale’s. For me, Life After Whale was simply too dense for most young readers. That said, I have an autistic kid who was obsessed with Wild Kratts and could tell you eight zillion facts about the land speed of an African cheetah, so I could see how a fact-crammed, wordy book about the ecosystem fostered by a dead whale might find a small but passionate audience. (It won the Sibert Award for best informational book from the ALA.) For most kids who like “true books,” however, Whale Fall is more accessible. Still full of interesting info, but not quite the same overwhelming barrage, and written in a more lyrical way. But ohhhhh Jason Chin’s illustrations for Life After Whale are stunning. The art here is more science-y and dark, less mysterious and majestic.

What a beautiful unspoken message about death in both these picture books, too — death has meaning. We don’t know how we affect the generations after us but we do. I could see these books being helpful for a grieving child.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative and interesting. I knew what the concept of a whale fall was before reading (especially because I had previously read Daniel Krause’s novel of the same name), but I didn’t know how many creatures benefit from the whale carcass. It did make me wonder about what happens when whales and dolphins wash ashore on tourist beaches. Are the carcasses disposed of by humans or are they returned to the deep sea to continue the cycle? What happens in the case of mass strandings? Has human involvement had an impact on the frequency and success of whale falls? I could tell this was a good book because it was thought-provoking and made me want to learn more. I would suggest incorporating some of the animal facts from the afterword into the main text of the book, as well as adding photographs of the featured animals (when able, since some of the species are still being studied). Due to the topic of animal death being the focus of the book, I might hesitate to teach it to a large group of students due to the possibility of it being a trigger, but it could work for a science or biology/zoology class.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHALE FALL is a morbid yet informative book that teaches children about the circle of life and what happens after a whale dies. Whales life a long life, about seventy-five years, and their death helps the entire ocean floor ecosystem for decades. At the end of their life, the fall to the bottom of the ocean floor where the environment isn't as flourishing. Many creatures feed off the meat and once it's all gone others sweep in for the bones, until there is absolutely nothing left.

The illustrations have a darker color scheme which fits the overall theme and setting of the book. In the back, there is more information about whale falls and some of the other species who do it with corresponding pictures. While the subject matter of a whale dying seems sad, the author spins it into a positive to teach how it adds to the sparse environment so other creatures can survive.


Final Verdict: WHALE FALL is a great educational tool for teachers who are teaching about ocean life, children who are experiencing the death of a relative, or for children who enjoy reading about sea creatures.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a whale dies? I think we often see pictures of whales washing up on a beach but usually, the whale dies and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. And for the next fifty years, it will provide a wealth of opportunity for countless sea creatures. The hagfish come first. What about when all that is left are the bones? That's when clusters of zombie worms ooze acid that breaks down the bones and tiny Oceanospirillales bacteria absorb fats and proteins. (all of this is wonderfully illustrated in the book -- zombie worms don't really look like zombies...)
Eventually the whale is gone but for fifty years (!) it has nourished millions of creatures on the seafloor.
Lots of interesting facts are included at the end. Scientists just discovered whale fall communities in 1987. There is a lot we don't know about the animals that benefit from a whale fall so if you ever wanted to be a marine biologist - this would be a fascinating thing to explore. There is a lengthy list of sources along with books, articles, and films if you want to learn more about Whale Fall.

[Carol Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whale Fall is a great book for the child who is enthusiastic about biology, animals, the environment, and/or ocean life. This reviewer learned a great deal from this book about what happens when a whale dies and provides a whole new ecosystem in the ocean for smaller animals. The illustrations by Rob Dunlavey are magnificent, conveying perfectly the dark murkiness of the ocean floor and the animals that dwell there.
The last few pages of the book present information about the marine ecosystem in a more organized and scholarly fashion that will be appreciated by the young reader who is really into biology and animals. There is also a list of sources for further research and information, as well as a list of on-line photos and videos to be seen.
This may not be a book for every child, but it is certainly a beautiful book for the child ages 5-12 or so who is interested in marine biology and the environment. Highly recommended.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whale fall is the process of death after a long, possibly 70 year lifespan. As the whale gracefully falls to the bottom of the ocean, it becomes the lifeblood for so many creatures in the deep darkness of the ocean. Meet some of those creatures in this book and check out the end notes and the author notes to gather the facts that your students and patrons will find fascinating.

Melissa Stewart books are a huge part of my introduction to non-fiction books for my elementary schools. She has published so many that are perfectly readable and have all the non-fiction connections we need. I am not sure how she has such a great awareness of what teachers and students will find fascinating, but I have never gone wrong sharing on of her books with students. I admit I was not sure this one would captivate me as it is the death of the whale that is the subject, but learning about some of the bottom dwellers of the ocean and the needs they have to survive was interesting indeed.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This informational picture book tells the circle of life story of the fairly recently discovered whale fall communities. Stewart almost poetically describes the death of a whale and what happens when it comes to a rest on the ocean floor. She focuses on how the whale's body sustains a variety of deep ocean creatures as each uses the whale for sustenance leaving some behind that is sought after by the next animal. Stewart uses key technical vocabulary in identifying each creature and their actions. She ends the book with a brief detailed description of the animals mentioned in the book including interesting information about each. Dunlavey's illustrations capture the changes as one animal moves on and others move in. This would be a good resource to add to an oceans collection.

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at a monumental, somewhat rare (when compared to how vast the ocean is), ocean event. It's so neat that one dead whale can create a little habitat for up to 50 years! The narration and pictures take us through those many stages and at the end of the book there is a bit more about each of the creatures shown. I like that there are so many "unknowns" listed when discussing each creature, it shows kids that there's still a lot to discover and learn about!

The text is a bit long for the littlest people but it could maybe work for an upper elementary school storytime or a middle school one. Because the illustrations are showing the deep ocean, the colors are fairly muted so it would probably work best with a fairly small group.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sibert Honor Winner Melissa Stewart invites the reader to visit an amazing habitat that few have seen and most have never even imagined! Rob Dunlavey's lush and atmospheric illustrations provide the setting for this otherworldly world, and Stewart's poetic text introduce an array of fascinating creatures moving in succession through an environment somewhat analogous to a fallen tree in a forest--a whale carcass sinking to the ocean floor. Even the animals have intriguing names. Meet roughscale rattails, snubnose eelpouts, and the abtly named sea pigs. You and your children won't be able to put this book down. For children of all ages, and their adults, anyone who has ever wondered what lies beneath the waves.

[Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

From hungry hagfish to roughscale rattails to zombie worms, students will be fascinated by all of the creatures that benefit over time from a whale fall. Stewart leaves lots of room for students to draw their own conclusions about what's happening - some creatures are there to feed on the whale and some are there to feed on creatures feeding on the whale ;).

MY WISH - Towards the latter part of the book, it was harder to tell what was happening in the illustrations. Not sure water colors were the right choice. I craved more distinct details, maybe diagrams or at least arrows with labels.

The back matter was strong. Wow! We didn't know about the communities that whale falls support until 1987!

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting overview of a little-known phenomenon and the creatures involved that was only discovered in 1987 and can sustain deep-ocean life for 50 years. Each spread introduces new species chronologically that feast on the whale’s carcass. As time goes on, the creatures become more novel and bizarre. End matter includes more info about whale falls, the creatures who benefit from them, selected sources, and sources for further exploration. The text is simple but introduces creatures that will be new to most elementary students. The illustrations are saturated in murky blues and have lots of blurry edges (perhaps not the highest kid-appeal), but the illustrations of each creature in the back section are much more satisfyingly clear.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think any kid interested in ocean life will love this nonfiction book that looks at the biome around the death of a whale. Yes, it's as straightforward as that. The author points out that one whale death can feed a system for 50 years but the explanation only accounts for a couple of years. I wish I could clearly see the 50-year cycle that is so emphasized. I still found this very interesting, and I think most kids will too (with the caveat that they will ask questions about death and dying). The illustrations are really interesting (although sometimes they are blurry- they mimic the conditions of the sea floor with the art style)