The Antarctica Files: Whale whirls!

[n2doc]

Posted on: September 10, 2011 8:00 PM, by ERV

Dr. Dolittle at LifeLines put up a post on how whales use bubbles to hunt:

Blowing Bubbles
While that sounds like part of a Monty Python bit ("First you get the comfy chair... and then... BUBBLES! NO ONE EXPECTS THE BUBBLES!"), that is actually how whales hunt for fish, and I actually got to see this irl in Antarctica!

NOTE: These are NOT my pictures! These are pics from folks on the trip that had awesome cameras, and they donated them to the DVD of photos everyone got. So to reduce the chance of someone snatching these and using them for profit without anyones approval, Im making them lower res.





more

http://scienceblogs.com/erv/2011/09/the_antarctica_files_whale_whi.php

[rusty fender]

1. Awesome!

Thanks!:bounce: :hi:

[shireen]

2. are they fishing?

I've heard that they corral small fish by circling them into tight groups to make it easier to feed. The bubbles are used to confuse the fish, and herd them in the right direction.

Whatever the reason, those photos are sheer joy!

Thanks for posting them!

[xchrom]

3. yes. they use them like we use nets. -- and very cool it is. nt