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Bubble net fishing

Humpback whales have developed an unusual technique for finding food in the Pacific waters west of America. A school of humpbacks begins the hunt for fish. Once located, the leader blows a net of bubbles which totally encircles the shoal. Another whale calls to synchronise the group and, working together, they begin to coral the fish into a tight formation. Panicked by the eerie sounds and blinded by the bubbles, the fish will not cross this fizzing curtain and their reluctance allows the humpbacks the chance to feed on the shoal in a concentrated area. As few as 100 individuals have learned to work as a team to produce this fishing technique, and it is the only place on the planet where they fish in this way.

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2 minutes

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