Whales what do whales eat

What Do Whales Eat? Their Diets Explained

Whales are some of the largest animals on Earth. They are classified as cetaceans, a group of marine mammals that includes about 90 unique species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. All species of whales can be divided into two main groups, baleen whales and toothed whales, depending on whether they have teeth or baleen plates in their mouths. Let’s dive into what whales eat!

What Do Whales Eat? It Depends on the Type!

As you might imagine, these massive animals have large diets, and they consume a variety of different foods in the ocean to give themselves enough energy to find mates and reproduce. So, the answer to the question “what do whales eat” depends on the type of whale. once again, the two main types of whales are:

Whales eat krill, shrimp, zooplankton, phytoplankton, algae, squid, octopuses, sharks, and much more. Yet, many of the largest whales in the world are happiest to simply eat lots of the smallest creatures in the ocean while smaller whales will actively hunt for sharks and marine mammals. Let’s dig deeper into what whales eat by breaking them down into baleen whales and toothed whales.

How Do Baleen Whales Eat?

Baleen whales, also known collectively as Mysticeti, are one of the two main groups of whale species. There are 16 unique species of baleen whales, many of which are some of the largest animals on the planet, such as the blue whale and the humpback whale.

Baleen whales get their name from the unique structure in their mouths, the baleen plate, which they use as a filter to pull food out of the water in a process known as filter feeding.

Baleen plates are attached to the inside of a baleen whale’s jaw and hang from the gum line in the place of teeth. These plates have thousands of long, thin bristles, known as baleen hairs or whalebone hairs. These bristles are strong yet flexible. Although they look like long, thin teeth, baleen hairs are actually made of keratin, the same material that makes up human hair, skin, and fingernails!

The main way baleen whales filter feed is by straining large amounts of water into their mouths, in the process also trapping lots of tiny crustaceans, plankton, and other tiny fish in their baleen hairs. They then lick the fish off of their baleen with their tongues and swallow them.

The Three Types of Filter Feeding

There are three slightly different types of filter feeding utilized by various species of baleen whales: lunge feeding, skim feeding, and bottom feeding.

Lunge feeders, like blue and humpback whales, are the most common, and they essentially swim quickly through the water to gain momentum before lunging at a large group of fish with their mouths open. After engulfing as much water and fish as it can, a lunge feeder will use its tongue and throat to push the water out through the tiny spaces between its baleen hairs. It will then swallow the leftover fish trapped between its baleen hairs and in its mouth.

Skim feeders, such as bowhead whales, will swim much more slowly through the water towards groups of fish, pulling them and large amounts of water into a gap in the front of their baleen plates very gradually. After pushing the water out of its mouth, a skim feeder then eats the leftover fish and other animals stuck to its baleen hairs.

As their name suggests, skim feeders generally prefer skimming the ocean surface, though skim feeding is actually possible at any depth, even at the bottom of the ocean.

Finally, bottom feeders like gray whales lurk near the bottom of the sea, swimming on their sides along the ocean floor and slowly pulling water as well as lots of tiny crustaceans and fish through their baleen plates. They feed similarly to skim feeders and leave long trails of mud along the ocean floor from where their bodies drag along the surface.

What Do Baleen Whales Eat?

Although the many types of baleen whales eat in slightly different ways, their diets are all very similar. Since the spaces between their baleen hairs are so narrow, they tend to pull very small prey into their mouths in huge amounts. The main types of food they eat are:

How Do Toothed Whales Eat?

Toothed whales, such as the killer whale and sperm whale, make up the other main group of whale species. There are 73 different species of toothed whales, known formally as Odontocetes, and they tend to be much smaller and more agile than most species of baleen whales. Toothed whales are named such for their sharp, cone-shaped teeth they use to capture and tear apart prey.

These whales eat in a much more straightforward manner, simply stalking their prey and lunging at them when they get close. They pull the prey animal, usually some type of fish or squid, into their mouths and will sometimes even swallow them whole.

A 2017 study found that the size of a toothed whale’s prey depends largely on the whale’s skull size!

By using 3D imaging to closely compare various species of toothed whales’ craniums to their prey size, researchers found there is a strong link between the two. In short, whales with larger skulls tend to consume larger prey, while whales with smaller or more elongated, narrow skulls tend to feed on smaller animals.

What Do Toothed Whales Eat?

Toothed whales prefer larger prey than their baleen cousins, and their bodies and teeth are much better equipped for quickly and efficiently taking down larger prey animals. They aren’t picky eaters and will commonly feed upon a wide range of different marine animals, such as:

In some cases, certain toothed whales such as killer whales will even eat other whales and cetaceans like dolphins and porpoises!

What do whales eat for dinner?

Whales are always on the move, so they have to eat a lot to keep them going. Fortunately, the ocean offers a range of dining options.В

All whales are divided into two suborders: Odontoceti (those that have teeth) and Mysticeti (which have baleen plates instead). A whale’s diet depends on its suborder.

But not all whales within each group eat exactly the same thing. Each species has a favourite food.

And no matter where they are or what they eat, whales are almost always on the hunt for a tasty meal.В

Bryde’s whales feed on krill but also small fish such as anchovies В© kajornyot wildlife photography/Shutterstock.com

Blue whale diets

The blue whale has one of the largest appetites of any animal, eating up to four tonnes of krill every day.

Blue whales, which have baleen plates, feed by taking huge mouthfuls of water and food. They then push the water back out using their baleen plates as a strainer, keeping the food in their mouths.

Right, minke, fin and sei whales also have baleen plates. All of them feed on krill, but sometimes include other sea creatures in their diets, such as copepod crustaceans and small fish.

Humpback and Bryde’s whales also actively hunt for small schooling fish such as herring and anchovies.В

Dolphins are part of the toothed whale group (Odontoceti), and spend their days hunting for food such as fish and squid В© Joost van Uffelen/Shutterstock.com

Which whales have teeth?

Odontocete whales have traditional teeth. This means their feeding techniques and preferred foods are different from the Mysticeti.

There are over 80 species of odontocete, from the huge sperm whale to tiny, dog-sized porpoises. Dolphins, pilot whales and beaked whales are also odontocetes.

These whales catch their food, such as squid and fish, by either sucking them into their mouths or by grabbing and biting.

If their prey is too big to be swallowed whole, they will grip it in their teeth and shake it apart into smaller pieces.

For scientists, the only way to work out what a toothed whale eats is to either observe it hunting and eating, or look at the stomach contents of dead whales.

The deep ocean is so dark that it is difficult for whales to locate prey by sight, so toothed whales use echolocation to find their prey. The whale emits a call, which bounces off the prey. The echoes help the whale navigate towards its food.В

Killer whales hunt in family pods. Their diets depend on the hunting techniques passed down through generations. В© Tory Kallman/Shutterstock.com

What do killer whales eat?

Killer whales, the largest dolphin species, also have teeth, but their diet is different to other odontocetes.

Killer whales are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of their food chain.

These whales are highly social and spend the vast majority of their lives swimming in large pods of family members, led by a female.

Hunting techniques are passed down through generations, so their diets depend on the region they inhabit and the pod’s approach to hunting.

These highly intelligent whales have been documented creating large waves to wash seals off ice floes, and even intentionally beaching themselves to catch prey on the shore.

For scientists, one way to learn what their diet was like is by looking at the shape of an individual whale’s teeth.

If the teeth have remained sharp, they are likely to have hunted seals and other large mammals. But if the teeth are noticeably worn down, it is because they spent their lives sucking up small fish.В

Eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, causing a serious threat to marine life В© epSos.de/Wikimedia Commons

An ocean of plastic

Plastic in the oceans poses an enormous threat as whales can become entangled in it or mistakenly swallow it.

Unlike foods in their day-to-day diets, plastic is indigestible. The material becomes lodged in their stomachs and intestines, causing blockages and severe pain.

Swallowing plastic can be fatal for whales and other sea creatures, even if they are otherwise completely healthy.

In February 2017, a stranded Cuvier’s beaked whale in Norway was found to have ingested around 30 plastic bags.

It is estimated that more than eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in Earth’s oceans every year. Experts are warning that by 2050, there could be more plastic in the water than fish.

This man-made material is now found on the sea floor, at the surface, on coastlines and even embedded in Arctic sea ice.В

What Do Whales Eat?

What Are the Types of Dolphins?

When Is Whale Watching Season?

Have you ever wondered, “What do whales eat?” For whales of all sizes, whale food is integral to their survival and population maintenance. Whale feeding habits are also equally as important for the keeping a balance within the ocean’s vast ecosystem. With up to 90 different species of animals within the cetacean family, of which whales are a member, there exist a wide variety of methods used to locate, isolate, and immobilize whale food. There are a number of different factors that determine the feeding habits of a whale and what whales eat, which include environment, size, social structure, species type, and more. These factors work together to determine whether a whale will consume smaller aquatic species of whale food such as shrimp, plankton, fish, krill, or crab, or whether they consume larger whale food forms such as seals, sharks, sea lion, or even other whales.

How Do Whales Eat?

These majestic sea mammals are quite amazing in the way that they navigate the ocean waters to find and consume their whale food. One common question is how do whales eat their whale food? The process by which whales locate their food and intake their food differs depending on the particular whale species. Here’s some information on how whales eat their food, specifically for the baleen whale and the toothed whale.

Baleen Whales: Unlike toothed whales, baleen whales (humpbacks, minkes, and right whales) do not have teeth. Instead, they possess bristles, much like the bristles of a comb, that act as a net to capture prey. Baleen whales are known to engage in filter feeding, a unique method of hunting, which involves grazing the surface of the ocean to capture tiny morsels of whale food. The baleen whale is known to have what are called baleen plates that hang in their mouth from the upper jaw. These bristles are used to capture tiny crustaceans in their mouths as they swim through the ocean. Baleen whales have massive tongues which are used for squeezing the excess water out of their mouths captured during the initial food intake and wiping the baleen clean before swallowing their prey whole.

Toothed Whales: Toothed whales (sperm whales, white whales, beaked whales) use a very specific hunting method to catch their prey: Echolocation. Echolocation occurs when the whale emits a collection of busing and clicking noises. The whale will then listen to the echoes of the sounds made that bounce off of nearby objects. The length of time required for the echo to return to the whale indicates the distance of whale food, the density of the whale food, and even if the whale food is moving or sitting still. Echolocation is not only useful for locating whale food, but can also indicate whether predator or inanimate objects are close. It is a unique method helpful for navigating the dark waters of the sea, helping these large sea mammals avoid dangerous situations and find whale food.

Toothed whales are hunters. Once they locate their whale food via echolocation, toothed whales will chase and capture their prey. How do these whales eat? They swallow their prey whole!

What do Whales Eat? Do Whales Eat Fish?

Commonly many whales are known for feeding on krill and other tiny crustaceans, but many are left wondering: Do whales eat fish or octopus? It is true that many whale species prefer feeding on small morsels of food, but there is one species in particular that can eat larger fish: the sperm whale. The sperm whale, the largest toothed whale in existence, will usually consume whale food including large squid, fish, and octopus. It is believed that sperm whales consuming an astonishing 220 billion pounds of squid every year. It is not uncommon to see small, circular marks around the head of a sperm whale, brought on by octopus and squid attaching to head in an attempt to avoid being eaten.

Toothed Whales: What Do They Eat?

The type of whale food a whale eats is largely determined by whether they have teeth or not. Toothed whales are known to be active hunters, as they have teeth to consume larger whale food. The majority of toothed whales will eat whale food species such as squid, octopus, crustaceans and fish. Other toothed whales, such as the killer whale, will hunt bigger marine mammals including whale food such as seals, sharks, birds, and even other whales. In addition to hunting and feeding on larger whale food, killer whales are also known for hunting in groups. They have been viewed engaging in seemingly coordinated attacks of their prey, much like a pack of wolves. The killer whale will rarely separate from its pod, except when mating, or in some cases, when foraging for whale food. Otherwise, they spend most of their lives maintaining very strong family bonds.

Hunting in groups is not only characteristic of the killer whale, as other species of toothed whales have been viewed feeding in groups. These whales are believed to hunt together due their smaller sizes in some cases, as well as their more complex social bonds.

Baleen Whales: What do They Eat?

Unlike toothed whales, baleen whales do not have teeth. Instead, they possess bristles, much like the bristles of a comb, that act as a net to capture prey. Baleen whales are known to engage in filter feeding, a unique method of hunting. With filter feeding, a baleen whale will swim with its mouth open towards its prey. Once the whale food is caught, they will close their mouths and push the excess water out with the tongue. Their bristles ensure that the whale food does not escape. The prey is then swallowed whole.

Baleen whales will feed by swimming through schools of fish and others forms of whale food, or may even skim the water’s surface with an open mouth to capture prey at the surface.

In addition to filter feeding, some baleen whales utilize a method known as bubble netting. With bubble netting, several whales will surround a group of whale food, blowing bubbles around the fish to get them in a ball towards the surface. After the fish have been herded, the whales will take turns feeding on the helpless prey.

One species of whale known to utilize bubble netting for feeding is the humpback whale. Also known as lunge netting, the humpbacks will usually target whale food like herring, blowing bubbles to herd them into a group. Other whales participating will scare the fish by making loud noises, causing them to head towards the surface. Once at the surface, the humpback whales will lunge towards the fish with open mouths, consuming as many fish as they can.

In most cases, baleen whales will engage in solitary behaviors when it comes to hunting for prey. However, certain species or pods of baleen whales will participate in group efforts to locate and capture food.

Bottom Feeding

Some whales, such as the grey whale, rely on prey found at the bottom of the ocean. These bottom feeders will swim to the bottom of the ocean, and then roll on their sides. By doing this, they are able to disrupt sea sediments and prey. They will then capture the small fish, crabs, plankton, or other sea creatures that come up.

The grey whale can eat a spectacular 3,000 pounds of food every single day.

Conclusion

While toothed whales tend to consume a varied diet of small and larger prey, baleen whales will hunt small prey they can swallow whole and in large quantities. No matter the species of whale, they have each adapted to their environments and personal attributes in order to thrive and eat well. The various methods of hunting utilized by whales, including echolocation, bubble netting, and filter feeding, have all proven effective in locating, isolating, and consuming different types of prey.

When asking the question, “What do whales eat?” one only needs to look to the location, marine life, climate, and social structure of a specific species of whale. It is with these factors the unique diet of a whale can be identified and studied.

Ready to See some Whales

Are you excited yet about witnessing this majestic giant in its natural habitat? If so, then all aboard Harbor Breeze. For decades, we have been Long Beach’s top whale watching tour guide, providing fun and educational whale watching adventures the entire family will love. If you are ready for an unforgettable Long Beach whale watching and Los Angeles whale watching experience where grey whales are the most populous, then book your tour today. We look forward to taking you and your friends and family out on the ocean soon!

What Do Whales Eat?

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Whales are the graceful giants of the deep blue sea. Not only are they the largest animal on earth but also the largest mammals. These beautiful mammals range from the 600-pound dwarf sperm whale up to the largest, the blue whale, it can weigh up to 200 tons and reach a length of up to 100 feet. That is nearly as long as a basketball court.

These mammals nurse their young and they are warm blooded. You can find whales all over the word, in all of the oceans.

What Do Whales Eat?

Whales need to search and hunt for their food. You get different species of whales and each species has their own personal preference of food. It is quite surprising that some of the largest mammals on earth eat some of the smallest sea creatures on earth. Let’s have a closer look at the whale’s food preferences;

Krill

This little invertebrate is one of the main food sources for baleen whales. These little creatures live in huge swarms that can weigh anything from 125 million ton to 6 billion tons. These creatures are merely 2.5 inches long and weigh about 0.035 ounces. They are found all year in the waters surrounding Antarctica.

Squid

The giant squid is a favourite of the sperm and pilot whales. These squid and smaller species of squid are found in the depths of the ocean. The giant squid can grow up to 12m (39 ft), no wonder some whales have battle scars on them.

Plankton

Plankton is a collection of different organisms, they live in large bodies of water and they are unable to swim against a current. There are a very wide variety, but the most popular for whales are the zooplankton (animal plankton). These plankton make up a large part of a right whale’s diet.

Copepod

These are little crustaceans that can be found in fresh – and saltwater. These crustaceans can either drift in water and are called planktonic, or they can live on the ocean floor and are called benthic. Sei – and gray whales favour these crustaceans.

Whales and dolphins, yes dolphins are also classified as a toothed whale, eat a variety of fish, from the salmon to the halibut, hake, cod, herring, and smelt are also very popular. Sperm whales might even take on large sharks, skates, or any other larger fish.

Birds And Land Mammals

The orca is one of the most famous whales for it’s daring hunting activities. Not only do they hunt in water for fish and squid but they also hunt land mammals and birds. They will attach penguins in water or on land, but seals, walruses and sea otters as well. They will hit birds resting on the water from below, stun them and then eat them

What Type Of Whales Do You Get?

There are two main types of whale, the toothed whales and the baleen whales. Besides from the differences in their teeth, baleen whales have two blowholes and toothed whales have one blowhole. You also get 14 baleen species of whale and the 76 species of toothed whale.

Toothed Whales

Well as the name suggests, these whales have teeth and these whales normally hunt. Their diet consists of fish, seals and giant squids. Sperm whales, dolphins, porpoises, and orcas are among the toothed whales.

Baleen Whales

These whales are normally larger than their toothy partners. Sperm whales are an exception since they are the largest toothed whale. Included in this category are the humpback-, right-, bowhead-, and the blue whales, just to name a few. These whales have fringed plates of long, fingernail-like material attached to the upper jaw. It is called baleen and it is used to filter out krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures.

How Often and How Much Do Whales Eat?

Whales need to eat everyday because they are so huge and need so much food. During the summer months, the blue whale, which is a baleen whale, can eat up to 4% of their body weight per day. These whales can eat up to 8,000 lbs of krill each day. Eating this much krill helps them to store fat for the winter, this fat is known as blubber.

These whales eat 8,000 lbs each day for about 120 days, it is estimated that the blue whale’s stomach can take 2,200 lbs of food to fill it.

Grey whales eat upto 340,000 lbs during their feeding period of 130 to 140 days, that is an average intake of about 2,200 lbs of food per day. The whale gains about 16% to 30% of their body weight during this feeding season.

Toothed whales are hunters, they chase and capture their prey. The Sperm whale, a toothed whale, eats squid and can dive up to 3,280 feet in search of these deep water squids. They can eat about a ton of squid and fish per day.

What Types Of Food Do Whales Eat?

Toothed Whales

As mentioned above toothed whales are hunters. Depending on the species they hunt squid, fish, penguins, birds, seals, and sea lions. Orca’s might even attack smaller whale species as well. Smaller whales will even eat crabs, starfish, fish, and other ocean creatures. Once these whales have captured their prey they will swallow it whole.

Baleen Whales

Baleen whales are some of the largest whales and yet they eat some of the smallest sea creatures. The diets variety from species. Right whales, for example, eat zooplankton. Rorqual whales eat krill and small fish. Grey whales eat amphipods and marine worms.

Do All Whales Eat Krill?

No not all whales eat krill. It is only baleen whales that eat krill, plankton and other marine organisms. Their food sources are very small so the baleens help to filter the food from the water before swallowing their food.

Whales with teeth will find it very difficult to eat this food source as they wont have any way to catch or filter the food from the water.

How Do Whales Locate Their Food?

Toothed Whales

Toothed whales and dolphins use echolocation to‘“see” the seabeds so they can navigate their way and to communicate with other whales. These mammals also use echolocation to locate their food. Echolocation makes hunting easier for them when they are diving down deep where there is poor visibility.

Baleen Whales

Scientists are still a bit unsure how baleen whales locate their food source as they don’t use echolocation. Scientists believe that these whales, like humpback and blue whales, use a series of sounds to communicate with other whales about available food sources. Another theory is that these whales listen for fish flatulence.

What Do Whales Eat In Captivity?

Some whales, like the blue whale, are just too big to be kept in captivity but there are some that can be kept in aquariums. Dolphins, orcas, and belugas are the most popular whales kept in captivity. These animals are highly intelligent and are often taught to do tricks before being rewarded with food.

They are mainly fed herring, salmon, mackerel, and capelin. Orcas can eat up to 500 lbs of fish in the wild but in captivity they are fed about 140 to 240 lbs per day.

What Do Whales Calves Eat?

Whales breastfeed their calves but the nursing period depends on the species. Baleen whales breastfeed for five to seven months and toothed whales for one to three years. The mother can produce up to 200 liters of milk per day. Their calves grow really fast, they can gain a 100kg per day, meaning that a calf will need to suckle at least 150 liters of milk.

The milk has a very high-fat content and can reach up to 50% in some species. The consistency of the milk can be compared to that of toothpaste. And it has all the nutrients the calf needs to grow.

Before the calf will fully wean, its mother will teach it how to hunt for food and what foods to eat. Most whale calves stay with their mother long after they are fully weaned so they can learn everything their mother has to teach them.

Do Whales Eat Humans?

No, whales do not eat people. It is safe to say that whales only survive on krill, squid, fish, seals, walruses, and other marine life. There’s no need for you to worry that you might get eaten while a whale is in the area. But you should still be careful around these huge animals. Their tails and swimming patterns can be quite dangerous to humans.

What Do Whales Eat

With so many different families and habitats around the world, the whale diet is quite diverse. Every species has its own favorite foods. Regardless of where they live and what they like to feed on, they are almost always hunting for their next delicious meal.

So, what do whales like to eat?

Come dive in with us as we find out more!

Whale Diet

If you’ve ever been curious as to what the world’s largest mammals like to dine on, you might be surprised to find out that most whales don’t prefer eating large prey. In fact, baleen whales, the largest whales in the ocean, prefer feeding on some of the smallest organisms, including krill or plankton, which drift around in their local waters.

Of course, not ALL whales eat plankton. Toothed whales, such as sperm whales, enjoy much larger animals, like the giant squid.

Do Whales Eat Sharks?

While sharks are not the main source of food for any whale, sperm whales have been seen hunting mako sharks, and have been found with the remnants of blue sharks, deepwater sharks and basking sharks in their stomachs.

While orcas, also known as killer whales are commonly thought of as whales, they are actually classified as dolphins. Killer whales regularly hunt and eats sharks.

Killer whales are highly intelligent, have very organized social structures and some hunt in larger groups.

While many people think of the great white shark as the lion of the ocean (aka the apex predator), that title truly belongs to the killer whale species.

Scientists have observed killer whales attack sharks using a unique «karate chop» technique, in which they force a shark to the water’s surface before slamming their massive tails down on its head to stun it. Once stunned, a killer whale will flip the shark over so it becomes incapacitated. Then, once the shark is immobile, the killer whale can finish it off.

In addition to sharks, killer whales love eating sea lions, seals, squid, fish, turtles, and other whales.

There are a few reasons why other toothed whale species don’t eat sharks. For starters, most of their teeth aren’t designed for chewing through hard cartilage. Beyond that, attacking sharks is risky. Most toothed whales would rather hunt for species that can’t attack back or put up a good fight.

Lastly, many whale species have narrow throats, meaning they would have difficulty swallowing a shark even if they wanted to. For example, the throat of a blue whale, the most enormous creature in the world, isn’t even a foot wide.

Of course, you could also say it’s a matter of taste. For so many generations, most whales decided not to eat sharks. Because sharks aren’t a normal part of the whale diet, they could cause pain or other digestive issues. However, this is simply a hypothesis, and no science tells us whether or not whales have preferential digestive systems.

Do Whales Eat Fish?

While many people think whales only feed on small crustaceans such as krill, or microscopic organisms such as plankton, there are plenty of whales that enjoy eating fish as well! For example, the sperm whale, which is the largest toothed whale out there, loves to eat fish, and will often eat larger creatures as well, such as octopus and squid.