Humpback Whales Have Learned to Make Bubble Nets to Catch Krill

Amaze Lab

Killer Whales or orcas might be known as the apex predators of the ocean, however a new study has found Humpback whales are also clever hunters. They have learned to blow bubble nets, resulting in far more krill consumption.

Transcript

00:00Killer whales or orcas might be known as the apex predators of the ocean, however a new

00:09study has found humpback whales are also clever hunters.

00:13This video was captured in the waters just off the coast of southeast Alaska.

00:16What you're seeing are concentric bubbles that have been blown by the whales, but they're

00:20not just for show.

00:21New research by investigators with the University of Hawaii at Manoa have found these bubble

00:26rings are actually nets, which help the whales catch krill.

00:29With the researchers writing that these whales skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form

00:33nets with internal rings, actively controlling details like the number of rings, the size

00:38and depth of the net, and the spacing between bubbles, finding that they help them guide

00:42and trap krill, and consume seven times as much food.

00:46What's more, the experts say this appears to be a learned behavior, as not all humpbacks

00:50hunt this way.

00:51Experts say the whales' time in these Alaskan waters is critical, as they migrate to warmer

00:55waters for calving season.

00:56During that time, the adults do not eat, meaning they need to get their fill to last them throughout

01:01that season.

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