Chatham Strait & Baranof Island
When was the last time you considered using a bubble as a tool to catch your breakfast? Seems like a strange question, but not when you’re referring to humpback whales in Southeast Alaska. We hit the cetaceanal jackpot today. According to the Alaska Whale Foundation, of the thousand or so humpback whales that visit the productive waters of Southeast Alaska each summer, approximately fifty individuals engage in a particular cooperative feeding behavior termed “bubble netting.” This process involves anywhere from one to nearly two dozen individuals coordinating behavior and their very large bodies and using bubbles emitted from their blowholes to create a net to surround their prey species – unwary little herring. Some animals in the group emit sounds as well, which we listened to from the Sea Bird with our hydrophone. A high pitched doo-wop let us know that either Little Richard was swimming nearby, or the whales were about to surface. It turned out to be whales.
We should consider ourselves to be exceptionally fortunate today for several reasons: we woke up in Southeast Alaska- an incredible place in of itself; we found cooperative feeding humpback whales before breakfast – actually, before we were even awake! Trip’s voice came across the ships intercom at 6:15 to invite us out on deck and witness this special feeding behavior. The best part of all – it wasn’t raining! Not to say it can’t or won’t, but it was nice to start our voyage on the dry side of the clouds. Could this have been any better? Glad you asked, because a little later in the morning we found a second, larger group of humpbacks doing the same foraging behavior near Angoon. About fourteen whales organized their bubbles, sounds and bodies and surfaced several times in unison with mouths agape and terrorized herring fleeing for their lives. We came away feeling very, very lucky and a bit hungry as well, for now it was our lunchtime.
Tools can come in a variety of forms, from screwdrivers and hammers to duct tape and bailing wire. However, if you’re a humpback whale concentrating on eating as much as possible for the next few months, don’t underestimate the power of cooperation and the spherical air-filled bubble.
When was the last time you considered using a bubble as a tool to catch your breakfast? Seems like a strange question, but not when you’re referring to humpback whales in Southeast Alaska. We hit the cetaceanal jackpot today. According to the Alaska Whale Foundation, of the thousand or so humpback whales that visit the productive waters of Southeast Alaska each summer, approximately fifty individuals engage in a particular cooperative feeding behavior termed “bubble netting.” This process involves anywhere from one to nearly two dozen individuals coordinating behavior and their very large bodies and using bubbles emitted from their blowholes to create a net to surround their prey species – unwary little herring. Some animals in the group emit sounds as well, which we listened to from the Sea Bird with our hydrophone. A high pitched doo-wop let us know that either Little Richard was swimming nearby, or the whales were about to surface. It turned out to be whales.
We should consider ourselves to be exceptionally fortunate today for several reasons: we woke up in Southeast Alaska- an incredible place in of itself; we found cooperative feeding humpback whales before breakfast – actually, before we were even awake! Trip’s voice came across the ships intercom at 6:15 to invite us out on deck and witness this special feeding behavior. The best part of all – it wasn’t raining! Not to say it can’t or won’t, but it was nice to start our voyage on the dry side of the clouds. Could this have been any better? Glad you asked, because a little later in the morning we found a second, larger group of humpbacks doing the same foraging behavior near Angoon. About fourteen whales organized their bubbles, sounds and bodies and surfaced several times in unison with mouths agape and terrorized herring fleeing for their lives. We came away feeling very, very lucky and a bit hungry as well, for now it was our lunchtime.
Tools can come in a variety of forms, from screwdrivers and hammers to duct tape and bailing wire. However, if you’re a humpback whale concentrating on eating as much as possible for the next few months, don’t underestimate the power of cooperation and the spherical air-filled bubble.
