Foraging Behavior of Eden’s Whales in the Gulf of Thailand

Male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Maesa (which means April) engaging in a feeding technique suited for the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. After finding a suitable quantity of prey, the whale opens his mouth at the surface while stirring up the shallow water and sediment with his fluke. This causes small fish (anchovies in this case) to panic, with many inadvertently jumping into his mouth. Sometimes whiskered terns (Chlidonias hybrida) make use of this foraging behavior to grab an easy meal, as seen here.

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