The Blue Whale’s Acrobatic Ambush

The Blue Whale’s Acrobatic Ambush

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Blue whales perform underwater acrobatics to attack their prey from below, scientists have found. The massive mammals are known for lunge-feeding; gulping up to 100 tonnes of krill-filled water in less than 10 seconds.

Using suction cup tags, researchers in Washington state have recorded the surprising manoeuvrability of the giants. They found that the whales roll 360 degrees in order to orientate themselves for a surprise attack. The results are published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.