Researchers have released rare images showing how humpback whales feed in the waters of southeast Alaska.
The humpback whale “bubble net” hunting technique is considered to be one of the most unique and complex feeding behaviors in the animal kingdom. Images were recently recorded by scientists at the University of Hawaii providing a detailed look at this rare behavior published on October 14.
“We have two angles. The aerial drone shows a vortex of bubbles slowly forming on the surface of the water before the humpback whales sneak up to the surface. The angle of view. Close-up of the camera mounted on the back of the whale shows how air bubbles are created (from the breathing hole), ”said biologist Lars Bejder who led the research team.
Humpback whales are inherently independent animals, but in this feeding behavior, they seem to work together to hunt more efficiently. The three whales were observed together creating two large bubble swirls to gather small fish and mollusks inside, allowing them to swallow thousands of prey at once.
Interestingly, this behavior has not been observed in all humpback whales. It’s not an instinctive way to hunt, but appears to be a technique invented by intelligent and experienced whales, the team said.
Humpback whales typically migrate to Alaska each summer to feed, then return to the warm waters of Hawaii in the winter to breed and raise their young. Since the ban on commercial whaling in 1985, humpback whale populations have slowly recovered. They are no longer considered endangered.
