Footage shows humpback whale 'bubble net feeding' off Cork coast 

Technique involves whale diving hundreds of feet below surface then slowly spiralling upwards, blowing bubbles as it travels

The moment the humpback whale crashes through the surface as it feeds on the trapped fish. Video still: Dan Lettice/Into the Wild Ireland

Footage has been captured showing a humpback whale as it engages in a unique feeding approach.

Dan Lettice, a wildlife photographer, said it was an absolute privilege to be able to get aerial footage of the whale 'bubble net feeding'.

Humpback whales will often do bubble net feeding as a group but will also do it alone.

The technique involves the whale diving hundreds of feet below the surface. It will then slowly begin to spiral upwards, blowing bubbles as it travels.

This creates a circle of bubbles which forms a type of net that fish become trapped in.

The whale will then burst through the surface, its giant mouth open wide, and take in all the fish that were caught in the bubble net in one swift gulp.

As it closes its mouth, the whale presses down with its tongue to force all the water out through baleen plates which act as a filter, expelling the water but keeping the fish from escaping.

 

Mr Lettice, who runs Into the Wild Ireland, said that the whale will repeat the process. The one he captured on film on Friday did this between 10 and 15 times.

"Sometimes you will see the fish jumping out of the water as the whale hits the surface," he said.

Mr Lettice said that he has often spotted whales off the Cork coast bubble net feeding but not from an aerial view.

The whale in the video has been feeding in the same general area for the past week or so, he explained.

"It has been feeding incredibly close to shore and at times has been clearly visible to the naked eye.

It was within about 150 metres from shore at one point yesterday. I was another 500m back from the shore but they were so close you could hear it blowing as well.

The video was taken at Gokane Point near Tragumna.

Thanks to the unique patterns of the underside of their tails, organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group can identify and track the movements of individual whales.

In the past few days, humpbacks have also been spotted in Galway Bay.

Calm and clear days offer great opportunities to spot whales swimming near the shore but people are reminded to keep a safe and respectful distance and not to disturb their feeding.