Blue whales’ diet and exercise rolled into one

Blue whales’ diet and exercise rolled into one 
       
This article was about blue whales and how they eat and sustain themselves. Scientists placed tags on the backs of the whales and video cameras watching them as they eat to see how they did it. They found that the whales used quite a bit of acrobatics to catch their food, despite their large size. This research was done by Jeremy Goldbogen of the Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, Washington.

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The whales feed on crill and small shrimp. They open their mouths and take in large gulps of sea water. It is similar to eating soup. As long as the water is dense with the prey, the whales have enough food to sustain themselves. The scientists found that the whales would lunge and do barrel rolls. This is thought to be because when they roll over, they can get a panoramic view of the other food that is around and where to go next.

NOS Themes:

• Science is collaborative
• Role of modivation and curiousity

 

Link to Article:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346683/description/Blue_whales_diet_and_exercise_rolled_into_one