The spectacular sight of cooperative feeding by humpback whales
You’d think a humpback whale could eat anything in its path with ease, what with its enormous mouth. However, as the video below demonstrates, even the largest animals on the planet have their own set of eating rituals. The film, which was published in July 2014 by National Geographic, has amassed a large following as a result of its shocking and remarkable content.
When seeking to catch enormous schools of fish, humpback whales use a bubble net feeding technique. Despite the fact that whales are capable of doing this feat on their own, they usually cooperate to put on a show. The video’s explanation of whales echoes this: Whales begin their search for fish by diving down and surrounding them with a constant spray of bubbles from their blowhole as they swim in a circular pattern.
While the other whales swim in synchronization toward the prey, the fish are forced to swim higher. At this point, the whales are all swarming towards the fish, which are now encased in the “bubble net.” In addition to being an excellent option for mass feeding, it’s also a stunning sight. And by the looks of it, the seagulls will be getting some, too!
As For Whales points out, when humpback whales migrate to colder places like the one shown in the video below, they tend to devour massive amounts of food because they don’t feed while they’re in the more temperate parts of their range. The daily food intake of a humpback whale can reach over 3,000 pounds. That’s a good start.