My footage of a humpback bubble net feeding very close to our boat on July 17, 2026.
What is bubble net feeding?
Bubble net feeding is a specialized feeding tactic where a whale spirals towards the surface while intermittently releasing its breath in a storm of bubbles in order to corral and concentrate a school of fish. The whale then opens its gaping mouth to capture as many fish as it can. Recent research shows that only humpback whales employ this method of feeding. While other whales species are capable of making the balletic turns necessary for bubble net feeding, only humpbacks can do so efficiently enough to make sense from an energy spending perspective. A humpback’s morphology enables the whales to turn sharply without expending excessive energy. Measuring one-third of a humpback’s length, their pectoral fins provide the whales with aileron-like alacrity. The fins pivot and flex, enabling aqua-batic movements that are impossible for other species to achieve efficiently. By efficiency, I mean that the energy spend exceeds the caloric potential of the targeted prey. Remarkably, the pattern the whales use when forming a bubble net is a golden spiral also known as a fibonacci sequence. A fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers such that each number is the sum of the preceding two numbers, i.e. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ad infinitum.
My footage of a mother humpback teaching her calf how to bubble net feed on July 17, 2026..
Bubble net feeding is learned, not innate
A humpback isn’t born with the ability to bubble net feed. Instead, humpbacks learn the bubble net feeding technique from other humpbacks. I’d read that the whales learn this behavior from other whales. Around Montauk, I only started seeing humpbacks employ the bubble net method in the past three years. Are local whales learning from another population of humpbacks? How does a young whale learn how to blow bubbles? In the past week I was lucky enough to witness a mother and calf bubble net feeding on several occasions. We were tuna fishing just southeast of Montauk when I spotted whales spouting nearby. I launched my drone from the boat and was awed by what I saw through the monitor on the controller. In the drone video above, a mother appears to be teaching her calf how to effectively catch its food! First, she makes an outline using an uncharacteristic steady stream of air then she dives again to create a true bubble net with intermittent blasts of air designed to confuse and confine prey. The question is why did she make the first bubble net? Typically a whale, or group of whales (see below), only forms a single net before gulp feeding. Was the mother making an outline of the shape to highlight to her calf how it’s done? Or was she first demonstrating incorrect technique before showing her calf the correct one? My feeling is that it’s the former, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.
My footage of two humpbacks participating in a bubble net feed in 2024.
Bubble net feeding is often done by a group of whales
A group of humpbacks often cooperates to corral prey. I’ve seen a lot of solo whales create bubble nets. Just as frequently, I’ve seen concentric bubble nets created by a group of whales. Each whale forms its own net to compound the confusion of the school of fish being targeted. The whales then gulp feed at exactly the same moment. It’s incredible to see from the air. My drone video above shows two whales cooperating in a bubble net feed. I’ve seen up to three in Montauk, but videos from other parts of Planet Ocean depict even larger groups of whales cooperating in bubble net feeds. Precise communication is the only explanation for the high level of coordination that humpbacks are able to achieve. I’d love to know what they’re saying! Wouldn’t you?