Humpback Whales ‘Bubble-Net Feeding’ Caught on Drone Video

Drone footage from Antarctica has captured two humpback whales in action, as they participate in a unique feeding behaviour known as ‘bubble-net feeding’. The technique is thought to have been developed by humpback whales after being hunted to near extinction, as it allows as many whales as possible to feed in a short space of time. Check out the video below.

The video was captured by Piet van den Bemd, a photographer and drone pilot who spends roughly four months a year in Antarctica. Speaking to Newsweek, he said he gets to see this “coordinated hunting strategy” every so often – however this time it was a particularly special event due to the perfect spiral created by the two humpback whales.

Bubble-net feeding is often carried out in large groups, but in this video we see just two humpbacks working as a team to get their next meal. But how does this hunting technique work? According to Alaska Collection, the whales “swim in a shrinking circle, blowing bubbles as they go, and together, they are able to force fish upward. It’s like a trap—fish aren’t able to get out of the bubbles. The way the whales exhale the bubbles also creates a loud and intense sound that also helps with the process”.

Then, “the whales swimming toward the surface will have their mouths open and gulp fish from the school they have corralled” (National Marine Sanctuary Foundation).