The role of whale falls in the connectivity among, and adaptation to, reducing ecosystems in the deep sea has been the matter of a long debate. Hydrothermal vents are the most extreme among the reducing habitats in terms of temperature, metal concentrations and in their geographical isolation, and it is hence thought that stepping stones are needed to reach them. As new types of reducing habitats are being discovered, they are now increasingly seen as a ‘continuum of reducing ecosystems’. Taking this concept seriously implies that any habitat type within this continuum could provide connectivity to any other. Thus rather than focusing just on whales, I will address the issues raised by Smith et al. in the context of the question ‘who provides connectivity with whom, and to which extent?’