@oceanlife51214: A truly remarkable encounter with a humpback whale feeding off the coast of San Diego yesterday! Humpback whales feed by lunging for a shoal of prey (anchovies or krill) at high speeds with their mouth open. Their throat pleats expands to several times it’s typical size - they take in a giant mouthful of water and prey then force the water out with their powerful tongue. The baleen acts as a strainer allowing the water to be filtered out while the fish stay trapped inside. On our extended tour yesterday we spent most of our morning with 4 breaching humpback whales. After a successful trip - we decided to explore a bit before heading back to the dock. We noticed a huge pod of long-beaked common dolphins splashing in the distance, and went to investigate. A feeding frenzy with an abundance of wildlife involved in the action! Luckily, the sun came out in the early afternoon allowing us to see the massive bait-balls of anchovies swarming below. These anchovies were being hunted by thousands of dolphins, hundreds of birds, 4 minke whales, 2 fin whales, and a humpback whale! This humpback emerged off of our port side with its mouth wide open! This is how the humpback fed for over an hour, giving our guests a nice look at it’s beautiful baleen! #whale #whales #humpback #wildlife

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Thursday 19 September 2024 14:48:41 GMT