How does a blue whale find krill?

When these marine mammals hunt for food, the blue whale dives underneath the water and swims towards its prey using a technique known as filter feeding (a common hunting method used among baleen whales), in which they swim towards large schools of krill with their mouth open and engulf both their prey along with the …

Where do whales find krill?

But despite their enormous size, blue whales feed almost exclusively on krill – small, shrimp-like crustaceans that grow to about six centimetres. These tiny animals are found in all of Earth’s oceans, swimming in massive swarms, sometimes of more than 30,000 individuals.

How do whales gather krill?

As its mouth fills, a rorqual’s throat grooves expand and its mouth cavity balloons outward. Then the whale brings its jaws together and contracts the throat grooves, forcing water out. Prey such as krill and small fishes are caught in the baleen mat as water is forced through the baleen and out the sides of the mouth.

How do humpback whales hunt krill?

By swimming around in a closing spiral, releasing columns of bubbles through their blowholes at carefully timed intervals, they create a barrier that herds the krill into close quarters with one another. When the time is right, the whales turn and head up through the dense cloud of krill to collect their dinner.

In which part of the ocean would you find krill?

Southern Ocean
NARRATOR: Krill are small crustaceans found throughout the ocean. They play an important role in the aquatic food chain, particularly in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill provide a vital food source for whales, seals, ice fish, and penguins.

How does a blue whale eat krill?

When blue whales hunt for food, they filter feed by swimming toward large schools of krill with their mouth open and closing their mouths around the krill while inflating their throat pleats.

Do killer whales eat krill?

Krill eat phytoplankton (tiny ocean plants) and zooplankton (tiny ocean creatures), squid eat krill, penguins eat krill and squid, fish eat krill and other fish, seals eat krill, fish and squid, Leopard seals eat krill, squid, fish and penguins. d squid, Killer whales eat squid, fish, penguins, seals and other whales.

How do baleen whales catch their prey?

Baleen whales feed by filtering or straining food from the water. They love to eat krill, fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and algae. Some, such as the right whale, are called “skimmers”. These whales swim slowly with their huge mouths open to take in large amounts of water and food.

What is causing the krill population to decline?

Increasing numbers of fishing vessels and changes in technology are causing more krill to be caught, he said. Krill populations have declined by 80 percent since the 1970s. Global warming has been blamed for part of that decrease because the ice that is home to the algae and plankton they feed on is receding.