Study shows humpback whales use bubble nets

by adamhanlon Monday, June 27th, 2011

Article Summary:

David Wiley of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others report in the latest issue of the journal Behaviour how humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine use bubble nets to corral prey. They attached digital suction-cup tags that recorded depth and orientation in 3-D to whales, allowing the scientists to recreate three-dimensional images of whale swimming behavior and bubble release.

The study also reports that humpback whales work in teams of at least two individuals and are not beyond robbing the prey from the bubble nets set up by others.

Thank you for posting it here. As we all know, the humpback whale is a baleen whale and a rorqual whale that sings amazing songs. It performs complicated and cooperative feeding techniques. The humpback has a bulky head with bumpy protuberances, each with a bristle. Humpbacks are acrobats of the ocean, breaching and slapping the water. They are indeed an artist in the water. They live in pods and have 2 blowholes. The name humpback describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a dive. The maintenance and the study of these whales cost like payday loans, but it is worth it. To know their swimming behavior will supplement us idea of how these whales work in a team, therefore serves an inspiration to everybody.
Posted by janeR on 2011-06-29 00:06:11 you're just learning about this now? i've known this since i was in high school. and i'm not even a scientist.
Posted by eperet1986 on 2011-06-28 10:21:22