Hungry Humpback Whales

Our Humpback Whales mostly only feed in the summertime while living in the north Pacific. During this period, they regularly consume approximately 1 ton of small fish and plankton each day.

The way Humpback whales gather their food is spectacular. Often they will blow rings of bubbles around schools of capelin, mackerel, herring, and plankton in order to concentrate these small creatures into a smaller area. They continue this process to get the highest concentration of food when they take a bite. When they scoop up the food, they also take in a lot of sea water, which they spit out afterwards. Hanging from their upper jaw, humpbacks have strips of baleen used like a comb to act as a sifter while pushing out the unwanted water. This technique is incredibly efficient.

As Humpbacks make their migration home to Maui each year for the winter, they may find opportunities to feed, but for many humpbacks, feeding is something they won't do until they get home to the Pacific North West.