News Animals

Baleen whales eat (and poop) a lot more than we realized

In a single day, a blue whale can gulp down the caloric equivalent of 30,000 Big Macs

two humpback whales emerging from the ocean to feed

Humpback whales feed on sand launce fish in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts. New research suggests that baleen whales, including humpbacks, eat a lot more food than scientists realized.

Elliott Hazen

By Jonathan Lambert

- More than 2 years ago

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

Whalers have plucked giant whales from the sea for much of the last century, reducing their numbers by up to 99 percent for certain species.