A 5,500-kilometre marathon of motherhood and cooperative hunting
In short: Watch how a humpback whale mother navigates a grueling migration to Alaska, balancing the demands of nursing her calf with the complex social strategies required to hunt in the open ocean.
After giving birth in the warm waters off Maui, a humpback whale mother must lead her calf on a 5,500-kilometre journey to Alaska's southern feeding grounds. During this trek, the mother has already lost 30% of her body weight while continuing to provide constant nourishment for her offspring.
The documentary captures the cooperative 'bubble net feeding' technique, where whales work together to create air nets that trap herrings. This high-stakes environment is shared with other predators, including orcas, who may hunt whale calves, and scavengers like puffins and northern sea lions who attempt to steal the catch.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: In the Feeding Grounds of the Humpback Whales | Free Documentary Nature
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