Nature is weird. I mean, seeing how certain animals have evolved over time, adapting to their environment in the most unique of ways boggles the mind. These little Bryde’s whales down in New Zealand are no different. And when I say little, I mean gargantuan.
According to this video produced by the Auckland University of Technology, the footage captures a 12 ton, 40-foot whale feeding off the coast of New Zealand. The Bryde’s whale, pronounced “broo-dess”, according to Whale Dolphin Conservation, feeds on schooling fish, krill, and plankton. To watch this thing feed is remarkable. It’s mouth opens and balloons out, right below the surface of the water. Then the bulge retracts as the whale closes its jaws and dives deeper. And what’s most incredible is this may be the first time a Bryde’s whale’s feeding behavior has ever been captured from above.
The footage may open the door to learn even more about the behavior of these whales, of which the video says there may only be 200 left in New Zealand waters.
