The key facts

  • A drone filmed a fin whale feeding at the sea surface in Wales.
  • Fin whales can reach lengths of over 23.8 m and weights of 70 tonnes; in one gulp the whale can take in about 68,000 litres of water.
  • A scientist from Bangor University noted that surface feeding is normal for fin whales, but its appearance near the shore is surprising.

A giant whale off the coast of Wales

In Wales, a drone filmed a fin whale — the second largest animal on the planet — feeding right at the sea surface. According to Kun.uz, the drone belongs to Morgan, who works at an oil refinery and spends his free time fishing. The device rose above the sea surface and made it possible to observe the fin whale up close as it caught its food.

How the fin whale feeds

While feeding, fin whales use elastic skin folds on the underside of their bodies. This allows them to take into their mouths, along with small crustaceans — krill — a huge volume of water: with a single opening of the mouth it can reach approximately 68,000 litres. These whales can grow longer than 23.8 metres and weigh up to 70 tonnes, so even a brief movement at the sea surface in the drone footage underscores the animal's enormous size.

A scientist's opinion

Dr Marianna Kymient, who teaches the ecology of large marine predators at Bangor University, explained that a fin whale coming to the surface to feed is a common occurrence. 'For a fin whale, rising to the surface of the water and feeding there is completely natural — it is part of its food-searching strategy. But seeing it in coastal waters is truly surprising,' the publication quotes the researcher as saying.

Migration insufficiently studied

According to Kymient, theoretically by this time the whales should already have moved to other areas. However, many aspects of the migration and lifestyle of fin whales remain insufficiently studied. It is believed that these whales prefer cooler waters.