What do screaming tadpoles, scuba diving dogs, attacking swans, and a psychic octopus have in common? They all made the list of the weirdest underwater stories from 2010.
The year's weird underwater news proved once again that reality is stranger than any fiction. From the editors of UnderwaterTimes.com, here's a selection of the weirdest underwater stories of the year.
For even more weird underwater stories, check out the Underweird news section.
Frog tadpoles 'scream' underwater when they come under attack
Scientists discovered that tadpoles from on frog species let out an audible "scream" when they come under attack. They only make the noise, described as a brief, clear metallic sound made up of a series of notes, when in distress. It is the first time any vertebrate larva has been found to use sound to communicate underwater.
Man fishes 10 hours with hook in head
The two-man team that took the top prize at a California college fishing championship said one member fished for 10 hours with a hook in his head.
Robert Matsuura, 23, said he was fishing teammate Peter Lee, 22, during a tournament when Lee's treble hook lure -- comprised of three hooks each connected to three smaller hooks -- struck him in the back of the head during an attempted cast. Two hooks ended up embedded in Matsuura's scalp.
Matsuura said he took two Tylenols for the pain and continued fishing for 10 hours. The team finished the day with a haul 2 ounces heavier than anyone else.
The pair collected the $50,000 prize for their university and then set about removing the hook.
Dog paddles 4km out to sea lion
A dog had to be rescued after chasing a sea lion more than four kilometers out to sea in South Australia.
The dog was walking with his owner along a beach when he dashed off into the water after the sea lion and refused to come back. Soon the dog and sea lion were lost from sight over the horizon as they swam further and further off shore, leaving the dog's owner frantic. "I'd say it was 4km offshore - that dog swam forever," he said.
Ocean rescue was called and the dog was found after spending more than an hour in the water.
Boy attacked due to sea lion sneeze?
Australian Jack Lister, 11, believes a zoo sea lion attacked him because he was covered in fish guts after the sea lion sneezed on him. "The seal sneezed on me and I had fish guts all over me, and I think it smelled the fish and it wanted to eat me," explained Jack from his hospital bed. Jack's wounds were only superficial.
The zoo, which has been promoting what it calls its "seal encounter" attraction, jumped to the sea lion's defense.
"The seal involved has been in our care for eight years," said zoo employee Simon Bussy. "We hand-raised her. This is completely out of character."
Hannibal the swan could be removed from pond after 'reign of terror'
A swan nicknamed "Hannibal" has killed 15 birds and injured dozens more is likely to be removed from a pond to end his reign of terror. Hannibal has lived with his mate, "Mrs. Hannibal", and their cygnet alone in Castle Pond in West Wales since February.
A volunteer rescuer Maria Evans said "Mrs. Hannibal blocks off the escape routes while he attacks them and then they take the baby to view the kill while mum and dad do a triumphant, wings-up, celebration."
Man gets camera back after 6 months and 1,100 miles
A scuba diver and his camera are one again after six months and 1,100 miles. Dick de Bruin lost his camera during a scuba diving expedition off the Caribbean island of Aruba. The Royal Dutch Navy sergeant was exploring a wreck with his dive team when it floated away.
About six months later Paul Shultz, a Florida Coast Guard, saw the red Nikon camera against the rocks of a marina in Key West, Florida. Shultz was able to track down the owner through an online scuba diving website.
'Crabzilla': The biggest crab ever seen in Britain... and it's still growing
With its enormous legs and lethal claws, a monster of the deep is already the biggest crab ever seen in Britain. Astonishingly, the arthropod - which measures a staggering 10ft from claw to claw - is still growing, and could live until it is 100.
Nicknamed 'Crabzilla' after the fictional giant monster, the Japanese Spider Crab has a body the size of a basketball and its legs can straddle a car. They will eventually measure a massive 15ft.
It's Scuba Dooby Doo â€" a brand new recruit with a Russian diving team.
A Russian dive team has been practicing scuba diving with a dog in a specially built wetsuit and breathing mask.
The dog's owner claims whenever he used to go diving, the dog would become very upset so he decided to solve the problem by taking him too.
Complete with oxygen tank and plexi-glass mask, the dog has so far worn the suit in a series of trials in deep water pools â€" with a little encouragement in the form of sausages.
Both diver and dog will soon be ready to dive in open water with the team at depths of up to 45m, which is the maximum depth for human divers.
Why are human feet washing ashore in the Pacific Northwest?
The mystery endures as 9 human feet have washed ashore in the Pacific Northwest over the last 3 years.
"The main question is: Where do they come from?" said Dr. John Butt, a forensic pathologist who led the team that identified all 229 victims of the 1998 Swissair Flight 111 crash off Nova Scotia.
"And I don't mean [do they] come from humans," Butt said. "I mean, where do they come from?"
The life and times of Paul the Octopus
"Paul the Octopus", who became a phenomenon during the World Cup tournament with his seemingly psychic ability to predict the outcome of matches, died in October of natural causes.
From his home at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany, the eight-legged sea creature captured the world's imagination by selecting food from boxes representing the two teams playing a match. Paul correctly predicted not just the outcome of his native Germany's matches, but also the overall winner.
He may not have kicked a ball, or even watched a match in South Africa, but few will have a World-Cup legacy which lasts longer than that of Paul, the "Psychic Octopus".