HUMPBACK WHALES CREATES BEAUTIFUL SPIRALS IN THE OCEAN

The diet of humpback whales reveals why these amazing creatures exist. These enormous marine animals only feed for half the year, and during that time they occasionally engage in unusual behaviour to satisfy their hunger. Known as bubble-net feeding, whales congregate in groups and produce amazing patterns on the water's surface.

These amazing patterns, which occasionally resemble Fibonacci spirals, are captured in aerial video footage. What then actually occurs during bubble-net feeding by humpback whales? In order to hunt together, humpback whales must encircle their prey, which is usually salmon, krill, or herring. The fish are then confused by the bubbles created when they each start to exhale from their blowhole, forming a kind of net. The whales then all open their mouths, swim upward, and suck the fish into their mouths in response to one of the whales issuing out a feeding call. 

It's a truly remarkable choreography that takes training. In actuality, not all humpback whale groups engage in bubble-net feeding because some of them inhabit regions with an abundance of food. This eliminates the need for this kind of group hunting. The behaviour was first observed in the Norwegian Sea in 1929; but, at the time, it was dismissed as playful socialisation. Now that scientists are aware that this is untrue, they speculate that it might have arisen in response to a food shortage. The group makes sure that everyone can get the nutrients they require by cooperating.