Humpback whales off the coast of Massachusetts

© Eric Kulin/plainpictur

Whale hello there!

It's whale-watching season here off the coast of Massachusetts and these humpback whales and their seagull friends are in a feeding frenzy. Here's a little tip if you ever find yourself seeking out humpbacks: Look for birds. Where there are swarms of dive-bombing birds, there will be fish, and where there are fish, there may be humpback whales.

It appears this pod of humpbacks is engaged in 'bubble-net feeding,' a phenomenon that involves the whales diving below a school of fish and then blowing bubbles as they twirl back up. The bubbles create a 'net' around the fish, disorienting them and allowing the whales to gobble up mouthfuls as they rise to the surface.

It's an ingenious way to catch prey. This is the feeding season after all, and these whales spend up to 20 hours a day eating 1 to 1.5 tons of krill and small fish. As for the seagulls pictured here, they certainly appear happy to take part in the feast. Bon appétit!