Brian Medley was recording a seemingly calm moment off the coast of Alaska when, suddenly, something incredible started happening on the other side of the boat. Medley quickly redirects his camera and catches several massive humpback whales on video as they lunge, mouths agape, for food at the surface of the water. His video went viral, with over 4.4 million views so far.
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“While peacefully watching some humpback whales bubble-net feed off in the distance, these hungry giants decided to give me a rush of adrenaline!” Medley wrote in his Instagram post sharing the footage.
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He goes on to explain that bubble-net feeding refers to humpback whales’ cooperative hunting strategy. “The whales dive deep below schools of fish and use bubbles blown from their blowholes to stun and trap fish closer to the surface,” Medley says. “The whales [then] swim toward the surface with their mouths open and ‘gulp’ the trapped fish.”
Comments on the post share Medley’s excitement over the surreal moment.
“I would pass out if i witnessed this in real life. How lucky!” wrote one person.
Watch Medley’s video of whales as they suddenly lunge for food here:
Header stock image by Chase Dekker Wild-Life Images/Getty Images
