HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Institute of Marine Biology have found new information on baleen whales.
On Tuesday, a study was posted that found out of seven species of baleen whales, humpbacks are the only ones capable of using the bubble-net feeding strategy.
The study, led by UH graduate Cameron Nemeth, revealed that humpbacks use their unique pectoral flippers to achieve the high-performance turns required to maneuver the technique.
“It was shocking to discover that amongst thousands of turns from a variety of behavioral states, no other species of whale examined were achieving the turning performance required to create a bubble-net.” Nemeth said.
The research showed that the humpback’s large pectoral flippers along with their body shape singles them out as the only whale that this strategy would be efficient for. Other whales would need to use a lot more energy to make the required turns, likely making the strategy impractical.
Understanding the whale’s foraging techniques can help researchers assess the species’ overall health needs, and their ability to stay in Hawaiian waters.
Nemeth also included a Hawaiian-language abstract for the paper, hoping to set a lab precedent to increase scientific literature in Olelo Hawaii.
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