The Remora and The Shark

There exist an interesting relationship between the Remora and the Shark. Remoras are commonly found attached to Sharks, using them as transport and protection and also obtaining food from fragments dropped by them. The relationship between Remoras and the Shark host is one of commensalism, the Shark they attach to for transport gains nothing from the relationship, but it also loses little aside from some extra drag while swimming.

This is like the relationship between Semi Trucks (A.K.A tractor trailers, big rigs, or 18 wheelers) and motorcycles. You may imagine, just as the young skeptical Remora might, that latching on to something so much larger and powerful would be dangerous, but quite the opposite it true.

First Semi’s provide shelter from buffeting winds. Drafting behind a Semi truck reduces wind resistance to nearly zero. Additionally, if one is to find oneself on the Bay Bridge with wind gusting across it, simply sidling up to the side of a Semi greatly reduces the lateral pressure.

Much more importantly is the protective value of the Semi. Car drivers have a healthy respect for a Semi, a respect not often shared with motorcycles. After all, bumping a motorcycle likely isn’t going to do the car driver much harm, while any sort of interaction with a Semi (the cause of 50% of car fatalities) is. As a result there generally is a bit of space in every direction around a Semi, a safe zone as it were, a zone not unlike one we might expect to see around a Shark.

Lastly, Semi drivers are less likely to make sudden moves while driving. For example, a car driver may not think to check if a motorcycle has appeared on his right before turning, but generally speaking Semi drivers use their indicators and must wait till space is available to switch lanes, giving the nimble motorcycle rider plenty of time to react.

And this is why the relationship between Remoras and Sharks is like that of Semi’s and motorcycles.

The End.