The Art of the Hunt

English

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) use a remarkable variety of feeding strategies. Depending on the individual, population, prey and environmental conditions, they can concentrate, trap or disorient fish and krill before engulfing them.

• Bubble-net feeding Whales dive beneath their prey and release bubbles in circles or spirals, creating a “net” that concentrates fish or krill before the whales surge upward to feed.

• Lunge feeding The whale accelerates toward a dense patch of prey and opens its mouth widely, expanding its throat pleats to engulf a large volume of prey-filled water in seconds.

• Pectoral herding Some humpbacks use their long pectoral fins as barriers to concentrate or guide fish toward their mouths, sometimes combining this behaviour with bubble production.

• Lobtail feeding The whale strikes the sea surface with its tail before diving and feeding, a behaviour thought to help concentrate or disturb prey.

• Trap-feeding Near the surface, the whale holds its mouth open while fish aggregate inside or close to it, before closing its jaws and capturing the prey.

Feeding traditions?

Not every humpback whale uses the same techniques. Some feeding behaviours appear and spread within particular populations, suggesting that social learning can play an important role in how feeding strategies are transmitted between whales. 

Knowledge

A Minute to Understand

Nuria Delgado Perez

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