The Nautilus

The nautilus is living evidence of creation, proved by the fossil record to have undergone no change in the last 500 million years, and sufficient on its own to undermine the theory of evolution. The creature takes its name from the submarine in Jules Vernes' famous novel, and attracts the interest of scientists with its impressive design. The nautilus has special chambers in its shell. There are 4 of these chambers in newly hatched specimens, and up to 30 in mature individuals. The creature occupies only the outermost chamber. The job of the other chambers is, just like in a submarine, to hold in and release air to allow the creature to descend to specific depths. The nautilus is thus capable of swimming at ease in depths between 90 and 450 meters.

The nautilus rises by filling these chambers with air, and descends into the deep by expelling that air. But where does it find that air? Scientists seeking an answer to that question encountered a miraculous system. A special gas is produced by biochemical means inside the nautilus' body. This gas changes places with the water in the chambers. This technique, which man began to employ in submarines in the 20th century, has been used by the nautilus for millions of years.

The nautilus employs another interesting technique to move; jet propulsion. It expels the water it collects under its shell from a hole under its arms.

The nautilus' shell allows it the possibility of camouflaging itself. In this technique, known as ”countershading” in camouflage, someone looking down on the nautilus from above will be unable to see it because of the thick stripes on its surface. Someone looking from below, on the other hand, perceives its light-colored underside as the same color as the surface of the water.

It is quite impossible for the nautilus itself either to know the chemical reaction which produces the gas or to set up the structure to carry out that reaction inside its own body. Neither the nautilus nor blind chance designed the complex structure within its shell.

This incomparably superior design is the work of God, Who created all that exists. His attribute of al-Badi' (The Originator of all creation) is revealed thus in one verse of the Qur'an:

He is the Originator of the heavens and the Earth... (Qur'an, 6: 101)

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