Were The Swimming Zombies Starving or Evolving

[Pteranodon]

Remember all the Zombies in the water attacking the boat? Could these "Swimmers" be the population of Asia or Europe, drifting across the sea because there's no food left on their home continents?

There's close to 6 Billion zombies prowling the globe for meat; they don't reproduce (unless the "little ones" are their children?) but that's still a vast population of large carnivores to feed. To put it in perspective I heard there's less than one billion dogs on Earth and they don't eat nearly as much as humans. (Lions and Tigers number only in the thousands) What happens when all the meat runs out? If they're really "undead" they don't need to breathe, so they could just float across the ocean or walk along the bottom. They probably taste terrible to sharks and Orcas, so they'll mostly make it in one piece.

[ObamaCat]

That's an interesting idea but I think it would take a lot longer for them to drift all the way to the US. And this is assuming the infection is global. I think that they're just local zombs attracted to the yacht.

[Hellbringer]

Yeah, I agree with Obamacat. At first, I was picturing some zombies walking the bottom of the ocean similar that scene in Pirates of the Caribbean but if some zombies were to do that and try to tranverse the globe, they would at some point hit the continential shelf and sink into deeper waters thus succumbing to high pressures of the deep. Yeah, that thought didn't last too long in my head.

[ObamaCat]

Yeah, I agree with Obamacat. At first, I was picturing some zombies walking the bottom of the ocean similar that scene in Pirates of the Caribbean but if some zombies were to do that and try to tranverse the globe, they would at some point hit the continential shelf and sink into deeper waters thus succumbing to high pressures of the deep. Yeah, that thought didn't last too long in my head.

Yeah I can just imagine the pile of dead zombies at the bottom of the Mariana Trench...

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

That whole World War Z thing with the Zombies in the ocean is the worst...even for fiction! The ocean floor has magma, valleys, mountains, creatures that don't care about what they eat, and at the very least you have the power of the currents.
There's no smell or light for the zombies to orient on and it's pretty silent underwater as well.

[Chogidog]

That whole World War Z thing with the Zombies in the ocean is the worst...even for fiction! The ocean floor has magma, valleys, mountains, creatures that don't care about what they eat, and at the very least you have the power of the currents.
There's no smell or light for the zombies to orient on and it's pretty silent underwater as well.

What, you didn't like the scene with the zombies bitting the chinese sub?!? lmao

[Eviebae]

I had the impression that the swimming zombies were different. Something about their arms. Were they mutated to fit that environment?

[ObamaCat]

I had the impression that the swimming zombies were different. Something about their arms. Were they mutated to fit that environment?

If that's the case are we going to get flying zombies soon? Damn, Kalani's use as a pilot will go down the drain if that's the case.

[Pteranodon]

Would Zombies sink or float? If they float they'd all drift around till they end up at the giant "trash-island" in the Pacific where all our plastic bottles wind up.

I think Eviebae's right, these are aquatic zombies- the different specialized types of zombies (or bio-mutants? We still haven't determined if they're "zombies" at all, they were careful to avoid the Z-word in the early chapters) would indicate some sort of man-made mutagen or bio-weapon run amok, causing this plague. I think this whole disaster was some military experiment gone awry, maybe an attempt to weaponize dead soldiers on the battlefield.

[Hollomandious]

Remember all the Zombies in the water attacking the boat? Could these "Swimmers" be the population of Asia or Europe, drifting across the sea because there's no food left on their home continents?

There's close to 6 Billion zombies prowling the globe for meat; they don't reproduce (unless the "little ones" are their children?) but that's still a vast population of large carnivores to feed. To put it in perspective I heard there's less than one billion dogs on Earth and they don't eat nearly as much as humans. (Lions and Tigers number only in the thousands) What happens when all the meat runs out? If they're really "undead" they don't need to breathe, so they could just float across the ocean or walk along the bottom. They probably taste terrible to sharks and Orcas, so they'll mostly make it in one piece.

Not with ya on this one.

They made comments to the fact that they thought they came from Catalina Island.

Someone else mentioned that they thought the arms were something to look at. Michael was mentioning how emaciated they looked and they were dieing due to lack of intake of nourishment.

I'm still waiting for Zombie Sharks!!!.

[Pteranodon]

Gotta self-correct myself: just watched "In Fact with Brian Dunning" apparently there ISN'T really a huge "trash island" forming in the Pacific.
Here's the link: http://infactvideo.com/episode/01/02/

[SleepyGlenn]

I think that they're just local zombs attracted to the yacht.

Agreed. I don't think it sounded like a mass migration.



That whole World War Z thing with the Zombies in the ocean is the worst...even for fiction!

What, you didn't like the scene with the zombies bitting the chinese sub?!? lmao

Ah comon' guys! Max Brooks is a ledge!

[Eviebae]

Maybe, they were turning into little ones and all the signs that looked like starvation were signs of continuing mutation.

[IAmBabs]

I still believe Little Ones may be children or people who are hunched over. I think since the zombies were able to get onto the ship as easily as they did, that they are evolving.

[WestonWisdom]

Neither, the constant tides were wearing down their flesh, they were decomposing.

Imo.

[IAmBabs]

I don't know about that. They should have been decomposing all along, shouldn't they?

[WestonWisdom]

I don't know about that. They should have been decomposing all along, shouldn't they?

The tides, constantly battering against their flesh would do a lot of damage to their flesh, imagine the wrinkles you get on your fingers when you bathe, only, you bathe for 24 hours a day, and the water is hitting you, constantly.

[nikvoodoo]

The tides, constantly battering against their flesh would do a lot of damage to their flesh, imagine the wrinkles you get on your fingers when you bathe, only, you bathe for 24 hours a day, and the water is hitting you, constantly.

You assume they live in the ocean and not swimming in from the island. If they burned through all food sources on Catalina Island that would explain the emaciated look.

[WestonWisdom]

You assume they live in the ocean and not swimming in from the island. If they burned through all food sources on Catalina Island that would explain the emaciated look.

Its a mighty coincidence that they just happened to be swimming underneath Michael and Pegs at the time then, isn't it?

[nikvoodoo]

Its a mighty coincidence that they just happened to be swimming underneath Michael and Pegs at the time then, isn't it?

After the spent some time bathing so they had already been in the water. Its clear enough you can see the island from the shore, so one can infer that goes the opposite way too. Not to mention in grand we're alive fashion, they burned a fire the night before. If there were zombies on the island, they may have seen/smelled the smoke and started to make their way to the island.

Wouldn't you figure that the description of them being emaciated would be trumped by them being evolved into a fish like swimming creature? I feel like that would a bigger deal than the fact they were starving to death.

[Eviebae]

Its a mighty coincidence that they just happened to be swimming underneath Michael and Pegs at the time then, isn't it?

Do you think it was a trap?

[Teethingbiscuit]

Do you think it was a trap?

Good point WW and Eviebae. if it wasn't a set up, then where were the people that were on the boat? Didn't it seem like there were peeps there until just recently? I'd have to listen again to back that up, but yeah it was pretty convenient that a boat just passed in front of them after they killed a Z in the pantry.
TB

[Rock Daddy]

Maybe it's a clue on a zombie weakness... Maybe they were withering away because of prolonged exposure to the salt water.

[Eviebae]

I meant trap like the cars the zombies used when blocking the road for an ambush
.

[Eviebae]

Maybe it's a clue on a zombie weakness... Maybe they were withering away because of prolonged exposure to the salt water.

I'm hoping for a magic bullet like that to get rid of them all!

[Eitri]

Could be a bit of both, you know how some people starve themselves to make themself stronger. That might be the case. But Evolutinon is also a big factor, they are changing to become more efficiant Killers.

[Eviebae]

Could be a bit of both, you know how some people starve themselves to make themself stronger. That might be the case. But Evolutinon is also a big factor, they are changing to become more efficiant Killers.

Mostly physical evolution. Mentally, they seem to have regressed somewhat. I mean, we were amazed to see one duck! I wonder if there are some that are essentially all brains and do all the thinking?

[cupcakezombie]

I agree that it could be a trap. There was something very suspicious about all of the splashes etc as they got on the boat.

[panzerfaust]

I think we should be more worried about how they got to all the islands in hawaii those islands are a good swim apart

[Paul Arias]

I think the lack of food likely killing off all on the island is a factor for the zombies in the water attacking the boat looking bad. On an island that size the infection going through it wouldn't take long. Thinking the fact that they were in the water had something to do with it as well. They may have been treading water for some time looking for food. Perhaps saw fish or other sea life in the water and tried to go after them. Trying to hunt in the water wouldn't be easy even for them and with no food they would be hell bent on trying to catch whatever they catch site of.
Basically having no more food source and being in water so long is what I think is for sure the cause of their appearance.

[Paul Arias]

Good thinking. The salt water would have an affect making them whither even faster wouldn't it?