The Martian

by Andy Weir

How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.

After the book came out, I received many, many, MANY answers to this question by devout comic book fans. So, here’s the answer: Aquaman is a very powerful telepath. His ability to command animals isn’t limited to sea life. In fact, in some cases he’s actually used his telepathy to control humans. But he has more experience using telepathy to control sea life because that’s what he has access to. So, just as he can control fish, he can also control whales, dolphins, and even seagulls.