Britannica Sources used in this answer

What kinds of food do baleen whales eat?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Illustration showing various cetaceans, including baleen whales like the blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale, gray whale, sei whale, northern right whale, and bowhead whale, as well as toothed whales such as the sperm whale, narwhal, beluga, Baird's beaked whale, killer whale, dolphins, and porpoises. Each species is labeled with its scientific name and typical or maximum length, with a size scale in the corner for reference. — cetacean Whales (order Cetacea).

Baleen whales, which are a type of cetacean, are filter feeders that consume a variety of small marine organisms. Rather than hunting individual prey, they take in large quantities of water and use their baleen plates—comb-like structures made of keratin—to trap food while expelling the water.12

Their diet primarily consists of:

Krill: These planktonic crustaceans are the principal food source for many baleen whales.32
Plankton: Baleen whales actively seek out concentrations of these small organisms.12
Copepods: These small crustaceans are another common component of their diet.2
Small fish: Baleen whales also consume various small schooling fish.2

Some species, such as the humpback whale, employ cooperative strategies like bubble netting to trap large amounts of these prey items at once.2