Educator Guide: Whales Eat More Than We Thought

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

About this guide

In this guide, students will learn how scientists estimated the food intake of certain whale species and discuss nutrient cycling and conservation of matter within ecosystems.

This Guide Includes:

Rethinking whale appetites

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Baleen whales eat (and poop) a lot more than we realized,” which details scientists’ efforts to accurately estimate how much certain whale species eat and what that means for ecosystems. A version of the article, “Whales eat more than we thought,” appears in the December 4, 2021 issue of Science News.