Why humpback whales team up in Alaska
Humpback whales often swim solo, but they form groups for bubble netting because collaboration leads to more food. While learning about whales captivated me, my pizza captivated Mylo.
Thank you to Laurie Clough, Cam Byrnes, and the rest of the Gastineau Guiding team for another great Alaskan adventure!
Jump to heading#Descriptive Transcript
Haben sits on a long bench inside a covered boat. She is holding a plate with pizza and talking to someone off screen. The panoramic window behind her shows several boats in the distance, and tall, majestic mountains.
Haben (voiceover): Humpback whales swim in formation, blowing bubbles underwater. Those bubbles form a net, at least from the fish’s perspective. Fish panic at the sight of the bubbles and rush to the surface. The whales communicate and coordinate to create a feast.
The camera zooms in on whales swimming around a specific spot. About twenty-five whales appear throughout the clip. Their large, dark grey backs with prominent dorsal fins emerge out of the turquoise waters with a dramatic splash. Many of them shoot plumes of water from their blowholes. Far above, dozens of seagulls circle. After a while, the whales execute deep dives. Their huge tails rise high in the air, showing distinct grey and white markings unique to each whale.
Haben (voiceover): I learned all about bubble netting in Juneau, Alaska.
The video jumps back inside the boat to show Laurie Clough, a woman with brown and grey hair, a light skin tone, and glasses, smiling and talking with animation as she types on a keyboard to Haben. Haben has one hand reading Braille from the computer on her lap, while the other hand holds a plate of pizza. Seeing Eye dog Mylo, a German Shepherd, sits on the floor beside her with his nose and ears pointed toward the pizza.
Haben (voiceover): Alone we can do so little. Together we can eat so much.