A whale watcher in Alaska unexpectedly found himself surrounded by humpback whales\u00a0bubble-net feeding.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile peacefully watching some humpback whales bubble-net feed<\/a> off in the distance, these hungry giants decided to give me a rush of adrenaline!\u201d says adventurer Brian Madley from\u00a0Unearthing the Wild<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his video, Madley pans over the calm waters surrounding his boat before the water suddenly explodes with activity as a pod of humpback whales<\/a> rush to the surface right next to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n See the amazing moment a pod of humpback whales breaks through the water’s surface in Alaska. Credit: Brian Madley<\/p>\n \u201cWhile watching humpback whales bubble-net feed in the distance,\u00a0Brian Medley<\/a>\u00a0suddenly found himself in the middle of the action,\u201d says\u00a0Whales Nation<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Instagram, noting that \u201cthis encounter happened without approaching or disturbing the whales.\u201d<\/p>\n Madley was just in the right place at the right time when the whales rocketed towards the surface, each one taking a huge gulp of fish they had driven up from below.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is an example of bubble net feeding. By working together, the\u00a0humpback whales\u00a0maximise how many fish they\u2019re able to gobble down.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe whales dive deep below schools of fish and use bubbles blown from their blowholes<\/a> to stun and trap fish closer to the surface,\u201d says Madley. One whale blows bubbles while the others swim around the fish, herding them to the surface. \u201cThe whales swim toward the surface with their mouths open and \u201cgulp\u201d the trapped fish.\u201d<\/p>\n Image and video credit: Brian Madley<\/a><\/p>\n More amazing wildlife stories from around the world<\/p>\n