A whale watcher in Alaska unexpectedly found himself surrounded by humpback whales bubble-net feeding.
“While peacefully watching some humpback whales bubble-net feed off in the distance, these hungry giants decided to give me a rush of adrenaline!” says adventurer Brian Madley from Unearthing the Wild on Instagram.
In his video, Madley pans over the calm waters surrounding his boat before the water suddenly explodes with activity as a pod of humpback whales rush to the surface right next to him.
“While watching humpback whales bubble-net feed in the distance, Brian Medley suddenly found himself in the middle of the action,” says Whales Nation on Instagram, noting that “this encounter happened without approaching or disturbing the whales.”
Madley was just in the right place at the right time when the whales rocketed towards the surface, each one taking a huge gulp of fish they had driven up from below.
This is an example of bubble net feeding. By working together, the humpback whales maximise how many fish they’re able to gobble down.
“The whales dive deep below schools of fish and use bubbles blown from their blowholes to stun and trap fish closer to the surface,” says Madley. One whale blows bubbles while the others swim around the fish, herding them to the surface. “The whales swim toward the surface with their mouths open and “gulp” the trapped fish.”
Image and video credit: Brian Madley
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