Balaenoptera edeni Dramatic Lunge Feeding | Thailand

This is a young Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in the Gulf of Thailand side-lunging through a mass of fish, likely Sardinella sp., that this whale and its mother had aggregated by swimming in a large circle. This circle and side-lunge technique has become the dominant foraging technique since 2017, replacing the open-mouth trap feeding strategy that had been prevalent since the 1990s. I believe this reflects a change of target prey. The whales adapt their foraging strategies to target species.

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Filename: balaenoptera-edeni-side-lunge-feeding-thailand-201810-1288.tif
Copyright: Copyright Tony Wu. All rights reserved. No duplication, reproduction or usage without prior written permission.
Image Size: 4692x2639 / 35.5MB; https://www.photoshelter.com/support/license#rm; https://www.tony-wu.com/contact-tony-wu; Whale Bryde's Whale Eden's Whale Animalia Chordata Mammalia Cetacea Mysticeti Balaenopteridae Balaenoptera edeni edeni CITES Appendix 1 Data Deficient: IUCN Red List Filter Feeder Marine Mammal Mysticete Rorqual Feeding Foraging Hunting Pacific Gulf of Thailand
Contained in galleries: Bryde's Whales, Eden Whales

This is a young Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in the Gulf of Thailand side-lunging through a mass of fish, likely Sardinella sp., that this whale and its mother had aggregated by swimming in a large circle. This circle and side-lunge technique has become the dominant foraging technique since 2017, replacing the open-mouth trap feeding strategy that had been prevalent since the 1990s. I believe this reflects a change of target prey. The whales adapt their foraging strategies to target species.