A spectacular moment of humpback whales engaged in a "coordinated hunting strategy" has been captured in Antarctica.
The rare view was captured on video by Piet van den Bemd, a 28-year-old photographer and drone pilot from the Netherlands who spends about four months a year in Antarctica and five months in the High Arctic region. The photographer shared the footage in a video posted on his Instagram account @pietvandenbemd.
"What you are watching is two humpback whales in synchronous bubble net feeding," he told Newsweek, "an impressive, coordinated hunting strategy among humpback whales."
The drone pilot said he gets to witness this "every now and then" during the time he spends in the polar regions but "still, it's a rare event."
However, "this time the whales performed so perfectly. The Fibonacci [spiral] shape executed perfectly made it incredible and a moment to absolutely never forget. In all the time I have spent here, I never managed to capture it this way," he noted.
What Is Bubble Net Feeding?
Bubble net feeding is a behavior in which humpback whales "corral and contain fish into a small area by trapping them in nets of air bubbles so they can more efficiently scoop them up in their large filter-feeding mouths," explains the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The hunting strategy involves humpback whales working together to "encircle and trap prey" by releasing a ring or net of air bubbles that "confuses and corrals small fish or krill (small shrimp-like shellfish)," van den Bemd said.
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation notes: "It is a complex, highly synchronized set of behaviors that involve communication and cooperation, demonstrating signs of high social intelligence.
"One whale generally leads the effort followed by the rest of the group. The leader will usually be responsible for blowing the bubbles and the other members will surround the fish, following them to the surface by swimming in spiral patterns to keep the fish trapped," the foundation added.
Humpback whales are "gulpers", meaning they feed by keeping their mouths wide open and "swallowing everything in their paths before closing their mouths."
During bubble net feeding, the whales "swim through the center of the bubble net with their mouths open, capturing the concentrated prey," van den Bemd said:
Krill forms a crucial component of the Antarctic ecosystem as a primary food source for various marine organisms, the photographer noted.
He explained: "Many species, including whales, seals, penguins, and seabirds, rely on krill as a staple in their diets. The interconnectedness of this food web means that changes in krill populations can have cascading effects on higher trophic levels."
Trophic levels is a term referring to an organism's position in the food chain.
"Additionally, krill plays a vital role in carbon sequestration (the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide). As these tiny crustaceans feed on phytoplankton and then sink to deeper waters when they die, they transport carbon from the surface to the ocean depths. This helps regulate carbon cycles and contributes to the overall health and stability of the Antarctic marine ecosystem," van dem Bemd added.
'Spectacular' and 'Insane'
A caption shared with the Instagram post shared by van den Bemd says: "Witnessing the mesmerizing dance of two humpback whales engaged in synchronized bubble net feeding. Nature's perfect collaboration unfolds beneath the waves."
Users on Instagram were blown away by the footage.
User kaitlinschaer wrote: "This is INCREDIBLE. Bubble feeding in the most perfect interlocking spiral."
User r3d_feather noted: "That's pretty spectacular! This just inspired my next adventure!"
User darylswalker simply said: "Insane bro."
User scottybauer_ wrote: "Stunning, reminds me of a sea shell."
User mezzaluna2 said: "Amazing! We watched them bubble net feeding in Alaska, but you don't get this view from the boat."
Do you have a travel- or nature-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Update 12/20/23 1:27 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a new image.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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