What do humpback whales eat?

Quick Answer

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are voracious predators that feed almost exclusively on krill and small schooling fish. During their feeding season in cold, nutrient-rich polar waters, an adult Humpback Whale can consume up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg) of food every single day.

Unlike the Blue Whale, which is a specialist feeder relying almost entirely on krill, humpbacks are generalists. Their menu changes based on their geographic location. In the Antarctic, they feed primarily on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). However, in the Northern Hemisphere, their diet is more varied, including fish species such as:

• Atlantic herring
• Capelin
• Sand lance
• Mackerel
• Pollock

Humpbacks are gulpers, not skimmers. They feed by taking massive mouthfuls of water and prey, then using their massive tongues to push the water out through their baleen plates, trapping the food inside. This feeding frenzy is seasonal; during the winter months, humpbacks migrate to tropical waters to breed and give birth, during which time they fast almost completely, surviving on energy stored in their thick layer of blubber.

---

Detailed Explanation: The Humpback Diet

To understand the dietary habits of the humpback whale, one must look at their anatomy, their prey, and their incredible seasonal cycles. As members of the parvorder Mysticeti, or baleen whales, humpbacks do not have teeth. Instead, they have evolved a highly efficient filtration system designed to process massive volumes of biomass.

Anatomy of a Filter Feeder

The humpback whale’s mouth is a marvel of biological engineering. Instead of teeth, their upper jaw is lined with baleen plates made of keratin—the same protein found in human fingernails and hair.

• Plate Count: A humpback has between 270 and 400 baleen plates on each side of its mouth.
• Plate Size: These plates can range from 18 to 30 inches (45 to 76 cm) in length.
• Texture: The outer edge is smooth, while the inner edge is frayed into bristly fibers that intertwine to form a dense mat, perfect for trapping small organisms.

Humpbacks belong to a family called rorquals (Balaenopteridae), characterized by distinct ventral pleats or grooves running from the chin to the navel. Humpbacks typically possess 14 to 35 of these throat grooves. When a humpback lunges at a school of fish, these pleats allow the throat to expand like a massive accordion, engulfing a volume of water that can equal the whale’s entire body weight.

The Menu: Regional Variations

While all humpback whales share the same feeding mechanics, their specific diet depends heavily on which ocean basin they inhabit. This adaptability allows them to thrive in diverse environments, unlike some more specialized cetaceans.

Southern Hemisphere (Antarctica)

In the Southern Ocean, the food web is relatively simple but incredibly productive. Here, the diet is almost 95% Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba). These shrimp-like crustaceans form super-swarms that can stretch for miles, providing the density required for a whale to feed efficiently. A single gulp can net thousands of calories.

Northern Hemisphere (Atlantic and Pacific)

Populations in the North Atlantic and North Pacific have a more omnivorous approach, targeting both krill and a wide variety of forage fish.

• Herring: A staple for humpbacks in the North Atlantic, particularly off the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts, and Iceland.
• Sand Lance: These small, eel-like fish burrow into the sandy sea floor. Humpbacks in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary are frequently observed feeding on them.
• Capelin: Critical for populations feeding near Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Salmon: In the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, humpbacks occasionally target juvenile salmon, particularly when they are releasing from hatcheries in large numbers.

The Feast and Famine Cycle

Humpback whales live a life of extremes. Their annual cycle is divided into two distinct phases linked by long-distance migration:

1. Summer Feeding (3-5 months): Humpbacks spend the summer in high-latitude waters (Alaska, Antarctica, Iceland, Norway). Here, there is 24-hour sunlight, fueling phytoplankton blooms that feed the krill and fish. The whales feed nearly continuously, building up a blubber layer that can be several inches thick.
2. Winter Fasting (5-7 months): As ice forms, they migrate to tropical waters (Hawaii, Caribbean, South Pacific) to mate and calve. The warm waters are safe for newborn calves but lack significant food sources. During this time, adult whales rarely eat. They rely entirely on the lipid reserves stored during the summer feast. A lactating mother can lose up to a third of her body weight during this period.

For more on how these massive animals sustain themselves across different environments, see our guide on Diet & Food strategies in marine mammals.

---

Topic-Specific Section: Hunting Strategies & Bubble Netting

While their diet is interesting, how humpback whales eat is what makes them truly unique among cetaceans. While a Fin Whale or blue whale simply lunges at prey with raw speed, humpbacks are agile, tactical hunters that often work in teams. Their large pectoral fins (the largest of any whale) give them superior maneuverability, allowing for complex feeding behaviors.

Bubble Net Feeding

This is the most famous and sophisticated hunting strategy employed by humpback whales. It is a learned behavior, not an instinctual one, meaning it is cultural—passed down from generation to generation within specific pods, particularly in Southeast Alaska and Antarctica.

The Process:

1. The Coordinator: A group of whales (usually 6 to 15 individuals) locates a school of herring. One whale acts as the leader.
2. The Circle: The whales dive below the school of fish.
3. The Net: One whale begins to blow a continuous stream of bubbles from its blowhole while swimming in a shrinking spiral toward the surface. These bubbles rise and form a glittering “curtain” that terrifies and traps the fish inside.
4. The Call: Simultaneously, other whales may vocalize—a piercing shriek that echoes off the swim bladders of the fish, driving them upward and toward the center of the bubble cylinder.
5. The Lunge: On a specific cue, all the whales swim upward through the center of the net with their mouths wide open, breaking the surface in a synchronized explosion of water and foam, swallowing thousands of fish in one go.

Bottom Feeding

Humpbacks are one of the few baleen whales known to feed directly off the seafloor. This behavior is often seen in the North Atlantic where they hunt sand lance.

• Sand lance burrow into the sand during the day to avoid predators.
• Humpbacks have been observed swimming on their sides along the bottom, creating clouds of sand to disturb the fish.
• Scientists have noted “scuff marks” on the jaws of these whales, confirming they physically scrape the seabed to flush out prey.

Comparison: Humpback vs. Other Baleen Whales

To understand the ecological niche of the humpback, it is helpful to compare their feeding habits with other major whale species.

Feature	Humpback Whale	Blue Whale	Gray Whale	Right Whale
Primary Diet	Mixed: Krill & Schooling Fish	Specialist: Almost exclusively Krill	Benthic: Amphipods, tube worms	Specialist: Copepods (Zooplankton)
Feeding Style	Lunge feeding, Bubble-netting, Bottom feeding	Lunge feeding (high speed)	Suction feeding (sifts mud)	Skim feeding (swims with mouth open)
Daily Intake	~3,000 lbs (1.3 tons)	~8,000 lbs (3.6 tons)	~2,400 lbs (1 ton)	~2,500 lbs (1.1 tons)
Social Feeding	Highly Cooperative (Bubble nets)	Solitary or loose pairs	Solitary	Loose aggregations
Habitat	Coastal & Open Ocean	Open Ocean (Pelagic)	Coastal (shallow)	Coastal & Open Ocean

For a broader look at where these animals live and hunt, explore our detailed section on Habitat.

---

Why This Matters

Understanding what humpback whales eat is not just a matter of biological curiosity; it is critical for global ocean conservation and climate science.

The “Whale Pump” and Carbon Sequestration

Humpback whales play a vital role in the marine ecosystem through a process known as the “whale pump.” Because they feed at depth (often diving 300-600 feet) and defecate near the surface, they transport limiting nutrients like iron and nitrogen from the deep ocean to the photic zone.

• Fertilization: These fecal plumes fertilize phytoplankton, the microscopic plants at the base of the marine food web.
• Carbon Cycle: More phytoplankton means more carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere. When these plankton die (or are eaten and excreted), that carbon sinks to the deep ocean.
• Essentially, by eating krill and fish, humpbacks help engineer a healthier atmosphere.

Sentinel Species

Humpbacks are considered “sentinel species” or bio-indicators. Changes in their body condition, migration timing, or diet often signal broader shifts in ocean health.

• Climate Change: As ocean temperatures rise, krill populations in the Antarctic are under threat. A decline in krill directly impacts whale pregnancy rates.
• Prey Shifts: In recent years, humpbacks have been seen moving closer to shore or into shipping lanes in search of food, increasing the risk of vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.

This connection between food availability and survival highlights the importance of Conservation efforts. Protecting the stocks of herring and krill is synonymous with protecting the whales themselves.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Do humpback whales eat people?

No, humpback whales do not eat people. Their throat anatomy prevents them from swallowing anything larger than a grapefruit. While a human could theoretically fit inside a humpback’s mouth, the esophagus is too narrow to pass a human. There have been rare incidents where a diver was accidentally engulfed, but they were quickly spat out. For more details on these rare events, read about Can Whales Swallow Humans.

How do humpback whales find food?

Humpbacks use a combination of sensitive hearing, sight, and possibly vibrotactile senses to locate prey. Unlike toothed whales (like the Killer Whale or Sperm Whale), humpbacks do not use echolocation. They rely on finding areas of high productivity, often indicated by temperature breaks or upwellings in the ocean.

Do humpback calves eat fish?

No. For the first 6 to 10 months of their lives, humpback calves feed exclusively on their mother’s milk. This milk is incredibly rich, containing 40-60% fat (compared to 2% in human milk). A calf can drink up to 100 gallons of milk per day, gaining roughly 100 pounds daily. They only begin to learn how to catch fish and krill as they wean during their first migration to feeding grounds.

Do humpback whales eat sharks?

No, humpback whales do not eat sharks. They are filter feeders targeting small invertebrates and fish. While orcas (killer whales) have been known to attack sharks and even other whales, the humpback is strictly a predator of small prey. To understand the difference between these predators, see what do killer whales eat.

---

Sources and Further Reading

This article was compiled using data from the world’s leading marine science organizations.

• NOAA Fisheries: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides detailed stock assessments and biological data on humpback whales, particularly regarding their diet in US waters.
• National Geographic: Offers comprehensive behavioral observations and photographic evidence of unique feeding strategies like bubble-netting.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): A leading charity dedicated to the protection of whales, providing data on migration and feeding patterns globally.
• Smithsonian Ocean: The Smithsonian Institution provides deep dives into the taxonomy and evolutionary history of baleen whales.

Citation Note: Megaptera novaeangliae dietary data varies by region. Statistics regarding daily consumption are based on estimated metabolic requirements for adult individuals during peak feeding season.