Bubble Net Feeding Humpback Whales

The Five Fingers Lighthouse

Bubble Net Feeding Humpback Whales

  The summer season is starting to fade here in Southeast Alaska. The days are getting shorter and a cool, crisp, nip can be felt on the air. However some vestiges of summer can still be seen, such as the vast groupings of Humpback Whales in Frederick Sound. The food source must still be plentiful because we are seeing large groups of humpbacks using all kinds of feeding strategies to get their fill. The group we had onboard this week brought some nature luck with them as they got to witness the holy grail of whale watching here in Alaska, humpback whales bubble net feeding. 

Synchronized Diving tipped us off to come in for a closer look

  The cooperative teamwork of humpbacks to corral their prey using coordinated movements was first seen here in Southeast Alaska. However we had not seen it on the Wilderness Explorer all season. I was starting to wonder if we would see it with only four trips left here in Alaska, but luckily that concern was answered this week! We spotted five humpbacks diving down all at the same time near the five finger lighthouse in Frederick Sound. We watched them move as a group for about twenty minutes before they surprised all of us by launched into a tremendous bubble net feed at the surface, all the whale blasting up through the water with mouths open, churning the water white.

  What we know of this behavior is that it is a complex feeding strategy that is initiated by one lead whale with a loud underwater ‘feeding scream.’ Another whale produces bubble deep below a school of fish and swims in a circle, ensnaring the fish in a blinding ring of noisy bubbles. Then all at once the entire group of whales swims up through the bubbles with mouths open gobbling up all the densely schooled fish, most likely herring in this case.

  It is a great opportunity for photographing whales because the ring of bubbles will show you exactly where to point the camera. Because of this we were able to get some great action shots. Another interesting point is that researchers have found that each individual whale comes up in the same orientation in the circle every time. It is another example of the complex culture and intelligence of these magnificent creatures we call humpback whales.