Pacific Whale Foundation on Reels

What do barnacles feed off of? Do you see the barnacles attached to this humpback? 🦀 🐋 Although barnacles attach to humpback whales, they feed on microorganisms stirred up as the humpbacks move about the ocean rather than directly feeding off the whales themselves. When they leave their feeding grounds, a single humpback may have up to a ton of barnacles attached to its body! This offers a wonderful up-close look to some of those pests! 📸 Research activities authorized under NMFS/MMPA ESA Per

Why do whales breach? 🐋 Whales breach for various reasons as this behavior likely serves different functions throughout the course of their lives. Repeated breaching helps calves build vital energy stores and muscle needed to migrate back to feeding grounds by increasing myoglobin levels in their tissue. A protein found in muscle cells, myoglobin is iron- and oxygen-binding and likely extends humpbacks’ breath-holding ability when diving. 🐋 📸Research activities authorized under NMFS/MMPA ESA