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Whales are one 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 types 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 can imagine, these massive animals have a large diet, and they consume a variety of foods in the ocean to give themselves enough energy to mate and reproduce. So, the answer to the question “what do whales eat” depends on the type of whale. again, there are two main types of whales:
- Baleen whales
- Toothed whales
Whales eat krill, shrimp, zooplankton, phytoplankton, algae, squid, octopus, sharks and more. However, many of the world’s largest whales are happiest to eat. lots the smallest creatures in the ocean, while smaller whales will actively hunt sharks and marine mammals. Let’s dive deeper into what whales eat, dividing them into baleen whales and toothed whales.
How do baleen whales eat?
Baleen whales, also known collectively as Mysticeti, are one of two main groups of whale species. There are 16 unique species of baleen whales, many of which are among the largest animals on the planet, such as the blue whale and the humpback whale.
Baleen whales get their name from a unique structure in their mouth, a whalebone plate, which they use as a filter to extract food from water in a process known as filter feeding.
The mustache plates are attached to the inside of the baleen whale’s jaw and hang from the gum line in place of the teeth. These plates have thousands of long, thin bristles known as whalebone hair or whalebone hair. These bristles are strong yet flexible. Although they look like long, thin teeth, mustache hair is actually made of keratin, the same material that human hair, skin, and nails are made of!
The main way to filter food for baleen whales is to suck up large amounts of water in their mouths, while at the same time capturing many tiny crustaceans, plankton, and other tiny fish in their whale hair. Then they lick the fish off the whiskers with their tongues and swallow them.
Three types of filter feed
There are three slightly different types of filter feeding used by different species of baleen whales: lunge feeding, fat-free fat feeding, and bottom feeding.
Feeders such as blue and humpback whales are most commonly found, and they essentially swim quickly through the water to pick up speed before rushing at a large group of fish with their mouths open. After absorbing as much water and fish as possible, the lunge feeder will use its tongue and throat to push the water through the tiny gaps between the whalebone hairs. Then he will swallow the remnants of the fish stuck between his mustache hair and in his mouth.
Low fat feeders such as bowhead whales will swim much more slowly through the water towards groups of fish, very gradually pulling them along with more water into the gap in front of their whalebone plates. After pushing the water out of its mouth, the fat scraper feeds on the leftover fish and other animals clinging to its whalebone hair.
As the name suggests, fat-free feeders generally prefer to slide along the ocean’s surface, although in fact, fat-free feeding is possible at any depth, even at the bottom of the ocean.
Finally, benthic feeders such as gray whales hide at the bottom of the sea, swim on their sides along the ocean floor and slowly draw water, as well as many tiny crustaceans and fish through their baleen plates. They feed similarly to feeders and leave long trails of mud at the bottom of the ocean, from where their bodies drag along the surface.
What do baleen whales eat?
Although many species of baleen whale eat slightly differently, their diets are very similar. Because the spaces between their baleen hairs are so narrow, they tend to suck very small prey into their mouths in huge numbers. The main types of food they eat:
- Krill
- Shrimp
- Crustacean copepods like water fleas
- Schools of small fish such as anchovies and herring.
- Zooplankton
- Phytoplankton
- Seaweed
How do toothed whales eat?
Toothed whales such as the killer whale and sperm whale make up another major group of whale species. There are 73 species of toothed whales, officially known as Odontocetes, and they tend to be much smaller and more mobile than most baleen whale species. Toothed whales are so named for their sharp, tapered teeth, which they use to grab and tear apart prey.
These whales eat much more easily by simply chasing their prey and rushing at it as it approaches. They suck prey, usually fish or squid, into their mouth, and sometimes even swallow them whole.
A 2017 study found that the size of a toothed whale’s prey largely depends on the size of the whale’s skull!
Using 3D imaging to carefully compare the skulls of toothed whales of various species with the size of their prey, the researchers found a close relationship between the two. In short, whales with a large skull tend to eat larger prey, while whales with a smaller or more elongated narrow skull tend to eat smaller animals.
What do toothed whales eat?
Toothed whales prefer larger prey than their whalebone cousins, and their bodies and teeth are much better equipped to take out larger prey quickly and efficiently. They are not picky about their food and usually feed on many different marine animals, such as:
- Squid
- Octopus
- Crustaceans come in all sizes, from shrimp and krill to crabs and lobsters.
- Various types of small and large fish such as halibut, herring, smelt and mackerel, depending on their location.
- Seals
- Seabirds
- Sharks and rays
- Walruses
In some cases, some toothed whales like killer whales even eat other whales and cetaceans like dolphins and porpoises!
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