Humpback Whales, Bubble-netting, Stephens Passage, Alaska – Image 2683

Mid-summer in Juneau is the peak of the humpback whales bubble-net feeding. Bubble-net feeding is a cooperative feeding behavior done usually by humpback whales involving as many as 24 animals. The whales find a large school of prey fish (usually herring) and swim in circles underneath the school blowing bubbles. The bubbles act like a net and corral the prey fish into a dense mass. As the whales swim up, the school of fish swim toward the surface in hopes of escape. Once at the surface, the whales shoot out of the water with their mouths open swallowing as many fish as possible. If you want to see this behavior, it basically only happens in Southeast in the summer. This photo illustrates the month of July in my 2011 Juneau Alaska Calendar. Enjoy the photo and thanks for visiting. Camera body: Nikon D300, Lens: Nikkor 80-400mm, digital capture, ISO 1200, hand held© Mark Kelley