In life, we can often feel as if we’re going at 100 miles a minute, so a relaxing vacation to somewhere secluded and full of wildlife and fresh, green nature is the perfect cure for those everyday stresses. The Canadian rainforests of the North West offer the perfect escape from normal life. Expect beautiful scenery – and every so often, surprise visits from all different types of wildlife.
One extra-special guest made their appearance in front of awestruck vacationers staying at Great Bear Lodge in British Columbia, Canada, and it was a moment that no one would forget in a hurry.
The view from the cabins out towards the lake is absolutely stunning, and the guests often stand at the docks and look out at the beautiful scenery. But one morning, there was something even more incredible to look at.
Most people were still in bed when the surprise guest paid a visit to the cabins – and since it was a moment that nobody would want to miss, staff quickly woke everybody up.
As the bleary-eyed guests arrived at the bottom of the hill next to the dock, they were probably all thinking, “this better be worth it.”
We think it was.
The surface of the water begins to move, and it’s clear that something very big is about to emerge from the lake. Incredibly, the creatures causing the stir are two huge humpback whales, and they surface right next to the dock!
Great Bear Lodge is familiar with these humpback whales, and they gave us some insight into their behavior.
Apparently, whales make the bubbles that were seen in the beginning as part of a specialized hunting tactic. Known as bubble net feeding, this is a special behavior that only a certain type of whales know how to do, and it’s something that is taught rather than genetically inherited!
As the whales get to work on their hunting tactic, they talk to one another to keep the operation moving smoothly.
The whales use their air bubbles to circle a shoal of fish and trap them before one of the whales dives down and collects their feast. It’s a really intelligent way of hunting, and works by disorienting their prey:
Humpback whales use vocalizations to communicate to one another and effectively and efficiently execute the bubble net so they all can feed.[3] As the group circles a school of small fish such as salmon, krill, or herring they use a team effort to disorient and corral the fish into a net of bubbles.
As you can imagine, the guests watching were totally fine about being woken up early to see such a sight.
Thankfully, somebody was alert enough to grab their camera before they headed to the lake, and the amazing moment was captured on video. As the whales descend once more, the crowd watching high-five each other in pure joy.
It’s moments like these that remind us of just how incredible planet earth is.
These people just witnessed something first-hand that most of us never will. It really is a cause for celebration!
Take a look at the amazing video for yourself below.
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