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Whales teach each other how to bubble-net feed
Posted
January 31, 2026
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as posted by the channelScientists say new research suggests humpback whales are teaching each other how to do a complicated feeding technique.
Bubble-net feeding is when a humpback whale dives below a shoal of tiny krill or fish and starts to swim in a circle beneath. It releases air from its blowhole, creating an ever-tightening ring of bubbles that makes its prey gather in tight clusters that are easier to eat.
The new study looked at a specific population of humpbacks over 20 years and found that whales that didn’t bubble-net feed were more likely to start, the more time they spent with one that did — suggesting, the study says, that their social bonds are helping spread the behavior through the population, making it more resilient into the future.
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