Humpback Whales Learn Bubble-Net Feeding From Each Other

Imagine learning a life-saving skill just by watching your neighbors, then passing it on to help your whole community thrive.

That's exactly what humpback whales are doing in the waters off northern British Columbia. Researchers studying 526 individual whales over nearly two decades discovered that these intelligent giants are teaching each other "bubble-net feeding," a brilliant hunting technique that could hold the key to their long-term survival.

Here's how it works: Whales swim in circles beneath the surface while exhaling through their blowholes, creating a curtain of rising bubbles. Fish and krill, tricked into thinking they're trapped, huddle together in a tight column. Then the whales swoop in with open mouths for an easy feast.

Scientists have known about bubble-net feeding for decades, but new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals something remarkable. The whales aren't inventing this technique independently. They're learning it from each other, passing down knowledge like a cultural tradition.

The study found that more than 92 percent of bubble-net feeding happened in groups. Even more striking, the behavior surged in popularity after 2014, when a devastating marine heatwave called "the blob" struck the North Pacific.

The heatwave lasted nearly three years, warming ocean temperatures and disrupting ecosystems. It killed at least a million seabirds and reduced prey available to whales. An estimated 7,000 humpback whales died in the North Pacific, likely from starvation.

The whales in Kitimat Fjord may have turned to cooperative bubble-net feeding as a survival strategy during this crisis. Their ability to share and learn this technique possibly saved lives.

The Ripple Effect

This discovery changes how we think about whale conservation. Humpback whales were once hunted nearly to extinction, but they've made an inspiring comeback thanks to a moratorium on commercial whaling.

The research team argues that protecting whales means more than just boosting their numbers. We need to safeguard their cultural knowledge too, including learned migration routes, traditional feeding areas, and cooperative hunting strategies.

"Cultural loss can be just as damaging as population loss and potentially just as hard to restore," says study co-author Éadin O'Mahony. Protecting areas where whales practice these learned behaviors could deliver conservation benefits that ripple far beyond local waters.

As climate change threatens more marine heatwaves in the future, the whales' ability to share survival strategies with each other might make all the difference. Their intelligence and cooperation offer a beacon of hope for building resilience in an uncertain world.