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  • A group of humpback whales engaged in social foraging by herding herring and other fish with bubble nets. The lead whale bursts straight out of the water, while the other whales lunge alongside with their mouths wide open.
    humpback-whales-social-foraging-chat...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from the water in perfect formation while engaged in social foraging, often referred to as bubble net feeding.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • This North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) was part of a group of whales that engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding for several days. One morning, this whale breached multiple times, prompting the other whales in the group to breach and pectoral slap for an extended period of time, as they ended their social foraging behavior and the whales went their separate ways. The weather was unusually clear, providing a view of the Fairweather Range of mountains in the background.
    humpback-whale-breaching-fairweather...tif
  • This North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) was part of a group of whales that engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding for several days. One morning, this whale breached multiple times, prompting the other whales in the group to breach and pectoral slap for an extended period of time, as they ended their social foraging behavior and the whales went their separate ways.
    humpback-whale-breaching-alaska-2018...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching during a break from bubble net feeding. This whale was one of six that were engaged in social foraging.
    humpback-whale-breaching-alaska-2016...tif
  • This North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) was part of a group of whales that engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding for several days. One morning, this whale breached multiple times, prompting the other whales in the group to breach and pectoral slap for an extended period of time, as they ended their social foraging behavior and the whales went their separate ways.
    humpback-whale-breaching-alaska-2018...tif
  • A group of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in cooperative foraging behavior commonly referred to as bubble net feeding. The whales find and encircle schools of fish, blowing bubbles as they do so to create a net around the fish and drive them to the surface. The whales then surround the fish and charge up in unison through their prey with mouths wide open. By working together, the whales are able to herd large schools of fish that would be more challenging for a single whale to capture. Photograph taken in Chatham Strait, Alaska.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feedin-ch...tif
  • Large aggregation of walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) socializing late at night and foraging for food. This chaotic and noisy group activity continued for many hours, with several dozen individuals involved. The large group sometimes broke up into two or three smaller groups.
    walrus-social-group-foraging-svalbar...tif
  • Part of an enormous social gathering comprising hundreds of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) over many square kilometers. This group comprised dozens of individuals that were busy clicking, blowing bubbles, rubbing their bodies against one another, diving to forage for food, and defecating continuously.
    sperm-whale-social-group-physeter-ma...tif
  • Aggregation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, gathered in all directions as far as the eye could see. Most were adult females, though there were some large males present, as well as juveniles. The whales fed intermittently, but also spent substantial time at the surface and in shallow water socializing.
    large-aggregation-sperm-whales-socia...tif
  • A dense group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were part of a massive social gathering of hundreds of individuals. As shown here, sperm whales seem to defecate frequently when they are at the surface, especially during intense social activity. The whales' defecation and other bodily excretions imparted an oily consistency to the seawater, as can be seen here, backlit by the low light of the late-afternoon sun. Besides socializing in this manner, the large gathering of sperm whales were also foraging for food in between bouts of surface activity.
    sperm-whales-defecating-socializing-...tif
  • A large group of humpback whales breathing together in between periods of cooperative hunting with bubble nets to herd schools of fish together. The whales typically rest like this after each successful hunt.
    humpback-whales-breathing-resting-bu...tif
  • Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) defecating while engaged in a massive social gathering comprising hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individuals. Defecation like this is common in sperm whale social gatherings, as is shedding of skin as seen here.
    sperm-whales-defecating-socializing-...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding, two with their mouths wide open. The low light of a summer evening in Alaska provides dramatic backlighting for this scene.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • This is a North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) breaching at 9:30PM in Alaska. Warm light from the final minutes of sunlight for the day illuminated the whale and ocean spray in a rainbow of color, reflected in the calm evening water.
    humpback-whale-breaching-at-night-al...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) bubble net feeding in the warm light of late evening during summer in Alaska. The baleen in the mouth of the lead whale is clearly visible from this angle.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) bubble-net feeding in Chatham Strait, Alaska, in front of a dinghy with tourists enjoying the show.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) executing a tail slap during a sunny day in Alaska. This whale was part of a group engaged in bubble net feeding.
    humpback-whale-tail-slap-alaska-2012...tif
  • Humpback whale calf breaching in Alaska. This calf’s mother was part of a large group of whales engaged in bubble net feeding. The calf was left to play while its mother fed. The adult female broke from the group from time to time to spend time with the calf, perhaps to nurse the young whale.
    breaching-humpback-whale-calf-alaska...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding, snow-capped mountains in the background.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding in the warm light of a sunny summer evening in Alaska
    hunpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Clear view of baleen in the mouth of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding in Alaska. Also visible on the lower jaw of another whale are Coronula diadema hard acorn barnacles and Conchoderma auritum gooseneck barnacles.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) bubble-net feeding in Chatham Strait, Alaska on a sunny day with lush greenery in the background.
    bubble-net-feeding-humpback-whales-a...tif
  • The rostrum of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from the water. This whale was part of a group of humpback whales engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding. Viewing this image at 100%, you can see the tubercles (including single follicles of hair protruding from some of them), an injury to one of the tubercles, and a few whale lice (Cyamus boopis) at the tip of the lower jaw. Note also the barnacles under the jaw, which are humpback whale barnacles (Coronula diadema), that grow only on humpback whales. In addition, growing on the humpback whale barnacles are a type of gooseneck barnacle (Conchoderma auritum), that appear only on humpback whale barnacles.
    humpback-whale-rostrum-tubercles-par...tif
  • Group of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from the water while engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding. The whale with its mouth open in the middle of the photograph is the leader/ coordinator, always appearing in the middle of the group. Photographed in Chatham Strait, near Juneau, Alaska.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-j...tif
  • Close-up of a few of the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) comprising a group of whales engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding. Photographed in Chatham Strait, near Juneau, Alaska,
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-c...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) engaged in bubble-net feeding, highlighted by the warm light of a late summer evening
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding to capture herring, with sea gulls taking advantage of the whales’ hard work. The whale with its mouth facing toward the camera is the lead individual.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) fluke in the warm light of a late summer evening in Alaska
    humpback-whale-fluke-late-evening-al...tif
  • This is a North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira) breaching at 9:30PM in Alaska. Warm light from the final minutes of sunlight for the day illuminated the whale and ocean spray in a rainbow of color, reflected in the calm evening water.
    humpback-whale-breaching-at-night-al...tif
  • A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that had an unusual dorsal fin, one that was split into three sections. It was not possible to determine whether this split dorsal was present from birth, or whether it was the result of an accident such as a propellor strike. This whale was one of eight or nine that engaged in bubble net feeding together during an overcast day.
    unusual-dorsal-fin-humpback-whale-al...tif
  • Condensation from the breath of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), backlit by evening sunlight during the Alaskan summer. This whale was one of a group of six engaged in bubble net feeding.
    humpback-whale-breath-condensation-a...tif
  • A pair of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) diving in between group bubble net feeding, with a charter vessel visible between the flukes. Visible on the corners of the fluke of the whale on the left are Coronula diadema barnacles, which only grow on humpback whales. Hanging off those hard barnacles are Conchoderma auritum, a gooseneck barnacle that only appears on Coronula diadema barnacles.
    humpback-whale-flukes-alaska-201607-...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) bubble net feeding in the warm light of late evening during summer in Alaska. The baleen in the mouth of the lead whale is clearly visible from this angle.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) rising up out of the water after creating a bubble-net to herd and catch herring in a cooperative manner. Photographed in Alaska.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Passengers aboard a recreational fishing boat enjoying the show put on by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) bubble-net feeding in Chatham Strait, Alaska.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-c...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in cooperative bubble-net feeding in Chatham Strait, Alaska.
    humpback-whales-cooperative-bubble-n...tif
  • A group of humpback whales surfacing near a small boat near the shore of Chatham Strait in Alaska, with the condensation of their breaths backlit by the afternoon sun.
    humpback-whales-near-small-boat-chat...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Chatham Strait, Alaska emerging from the water with their mouths wide open to feed on schools of fish. There are fish, probably herring, visible in the photo. From this angle, there is a clear view of the baleen hanging down from the top of the humpback whales' mouths.
    feeding-humpback-whales-mouths-open-...tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding during the summer in Alaska.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding near a tourist vessel in Alaska.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • This was part of a large gathering of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) comprising hundreds, perhaps thousands of individual whales that spanned horizon to horizon for nearly three days. This was likely a meeting of multiple social units in the same clan. Pictured here is one particularly large social cluster.  This image is licensed on an exclusive basis to BBC through 29 October 2021.
    sperm-whale-large-aggregation-201402...tif
  • A large aggregation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity. Note the abundance of sloughed off skin in the water, resulting from tactile contact among the whales. Peeling skin is apparent on the individuals in the center of this image. Note also the cloud of defecation. These whales had just emerged from milling around in a gigantic cluster, with many of the whales defecating to such an extent that the water was opaque. This photograph was the winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category of the 53rd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2017 (#WPY53) organized by the Natural History Museum in London.
    superpod-aggregation-sperm-whales-de...tif
  • Large cluster of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were part of an enormous superpod gathering comprising hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals. As is typical of sperm whale social activity, there was a lot of tactile contact accompanied by biosonar clicking, with sloughing of skin, defecation, passing of gas. The water was milky white and oily from the activity.
    sperm-whale-superpod-physeter-macroc...tif
  • This humpback whale was part of a bubble-net feeding group in Icy Strait, Alaska. This breach was one of a series of breaches and pectoral slaps that occurred in tandem with the end of social foraging, with the whales going separate ways.
    humpback-whale-breaching-alaska-2018...tif
  • A humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching and playing while its mother engaged in bubble-net feeding with a social foraging group of whale nearby. Photographed in Chatham Strait, Alaska.
    playful-humpback-whale-calf-breachin...tif
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching. This calf's mother was among whales engaged in bubble net feeding. The calf did not participate in the social foraging, but tagged along some distance behind. The adult female separated from the group from time to time, perhaps to feed this calf.
    breaching-humpback-whale-calf-chatha...tif
  • Part of a large group of orcas (Orcinus orca) traveling together while foraging on large schools of herring (Clupea harengus) in the cold waters of northern Norway. With an abundant food supply, most orca social units had at least one calf, as pictured here.
    orcinus-orca-norway-mother-with-calf...tif
  • Tiny female sperm whale calf (Physeter macrocephalus), which was allowed to play by itself. This calf's family was in the immediate vicinity socializing and foraging for food, but the calf was allowed to wander off and explore. It was inquisitive and approached several times. In this photo, the calf has placed its fluke gently on my head. We swam together like this, calf resting her fluke on my head. Of note, the calf was approximately two meters long, which is considerably smaller than the usually assumed birth size of four meters or more for sperm whale calves.
    fluke-underside-baby-sperm-whale-fem...tif
  • A very small female sperm whale calf (Physeter macrocephalus). This calf's family was in the immediate vicinity socializing and foraging for food, but the calf was allowed to wander off and explore by itself. It was inquisitive and approached several times, placing its fluke gently on my head at one point. Of note, the calf was approximately two meters long, which is considerably smaller than the usually assumed birth size of four meters or more for sperm whale calves.
    sperm-whale-calf-female-very-small-2...tif
  • Tiny female sperm whale calf (Physeter macrocephalus), which was allowed to play by itself. This calf's family was in the immediate vicinity socializing and foraging for food, but the calf was allowed to wander off and explore. It was inquisitive and approached several times. In this photo, the calf has placed its fluke gently on my head. We swam together like this, calf resting her fluke on my head. Of note, the calf was approximately two meters long, which is considerably smaller than the usually assumed birth size of four meters or more for sperm whale calves.
    fluke-underside-baby-sperm-whale-201...tif
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