Humpback Whales Bubble-Net Feeding Is the Most Mesmerizing Sight in the Ocean

Videos of animals hunting prey can be fascinating but gruesome. This one is a bit different. The clip of two humpback whales bubble feeding in synchrony is as beautiful as it is interesting. It shows the two magnificent whales creating a perfect spiral of white bubbles in the blue ocean and emerging at the center, mouths wide open.

Watch the Mesmerizing Sight Now

What Do Humpback Whales Normally Eat?

These whales are generalist feeders and take their opportunities to feed on what they come across. A large part of their diet can be made up of plankton, but they also target schools of fish. The type of fish they eat varies by where they live. North Atlantic humpbacks, for example, eat sand lance, herring, and pollock. Whereas humpbacks living in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea like to eat krill, mackerel, and herring.

What Is Bubble-Net Feeding?

Bubble-net feeding is a complex and cooperative hunting strategy used by groups of humpback whales. It involves a high level of communication and cooperation, which demonstrates just how intelligent these animals are.

It begins with the whales diving deep below a school of fish. Then, they use bubbles blown from their blow holes to confuse, immobilize, and trap the fish closer to the surface. One whale usually leads the hunt, followed by another whale or the rest of the group. Usually, the leader is the bubble blower, and the others surround the fish and follow them to the surface by swimming in a spiral pattern. This keeps the fish trapped in one place and makes them easier to swallow!

How Do Humpback Whales Normally Eat?

Humpback whales are gulpers. As you can see in this clip, they feed by leaving their mouth wide open and taking in everything in front of them. Then, they close their mouth and force the water out past their baleen plates. These are special filters that trap the food, which is then pushed towards the throat, using the tongue, and swallowed.

What Other Hunting Methods Do They Use?

Humpback whales also produce what is called a ring of foam. To do this, they lie on the ocean surface and swim in a circle. As they swim, they strike the water with their flukes, which makes the water full of air and become foamy. The circle of foam surrounds the prey, who are now stuck in one place and are easier to swallow. The whales dive under the prey and resurface with their mouth wide open.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/srhtkn