Meet Me in the Middle: Humpback Whales Coordinate to Hunt Along the Seafloor
By Rachel Plunkett
July 28, 2026
Beneath the surface of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, humpback whales are working together to capture one of the region's smallest and most elusive fish.
A newly published study led by scientists at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary provides the first direct documentation of humpback whales cooperatively hunting along the seafloor. The whales repeatedly approached one another in coordinated formations, corralling schools of northern sand lance before opening their mouths to capture the fish at nearly the same time.
Published in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, the study offers evidence that the whales may be engaging in collaborative hunting—considered the most cognitively complex form of cooperative hunting in animals.
"This study is part of our long-term investigation into the behavioral ecology of humpback whales," said David Wiley, the sanctuary's research ecologist and lead author of the study.
"We previously demonstrated that humpbacks use bubbles as a tool to trap prey," Wiley said, referring to a 2011 study of the underwater components of bubble-net feeding. "These new results add to information that suggests cognitive competence in humpbacks. Unfortunately, the behavior takes place along the seafloor, putting them at increased risk of becoming entangled in bottom-set fishing gear."
A Whale's Eye View of The Hunt
Scientists studied the behavior in humpback whales in the southern Gulf of Maine using CATS tags (custom animal tracking solutions), which are non-invasive, temporary suction-cup tags that are attached to the backs of free-swimming whales. Equipped with video cameras and sensors, the tags recorded what the whales encountered while also measuring their depth, direction, pitch, and body movements.
The research team analyzed 110 benthic, or seafloor-associated, hunting events recorded by tags deployed on seven whales. In 79% of those events, the tagged whale hunted with one to three other humpbacks rather than feeding alone.
As the whales reached the bottom, they moved toward one another with their heads pointed toward a central location. Their rostrums, or snouts, sometimes came within only a few meters of one another.
This formation appeared to help drive or corral sand lance toward the other whales. These slender schooling fish can evade predators by burying themselves in sandy sediment or quickly fleeing before diving back into the sand.
Even when the tagged whale changed its direction of attack, its hunting partners typically adjusted their movements to return to the same position relative to the tagged animal. When scientists could identify every whale involved, individuals occupied the same position during 93% of the observed hunting events.
The whales also timed the final stage of the hunt closely. In events where researchers could see multiple whales capturing prey, the animals opened their mouths an average of just 3.7 seconds apart.
Working as a Team
Scientists classify cooperative hunting according to increasing levels of complexity. During collaborative hunting, animals perform complementary roles—such as driving prey, blocking an escape route, or surrounding prey—and adjust their behavior based on the actions of their hunting partners.
This type of teamwork is often associated with animals that live in stable social groups or hunt with close relatives. Humpback whales, however, generally have a fluid social structure in which individuals form temporary groups that frequently change. The researchers suggest that successfully hunting small, evasive sand lance may have encouraged the development of this unusually sophisticated strategy.
The findings build on years of sanctuary research and monitoring, documenting humpback whales' diverse feeding strategies. Previous tagging studies revealed that whales roll onto their sides and skim the sediment to flush sand lance from the seafloor. Researchers also observed whales feeding in pairs or groups of three, sometimes approaching nose-to-nose as they appeared to trap or herd fish between them.
The new study takes that research a step further. By analyzing the whales' positions, movements and timing across more than 100 hunting events, scientists found evidence that individual whales repeatedly assumed complementary roles and adjusted their movements in relation to their hunting partners, which is a behavior consistent with collaborative hunting.
"We do not yet know whether this collaborative strategy is unique to humpback whales hunting sand lance in the Gulf of Maine or if it occurs in other whale populations and habitats," said Wiley.
Future studies using video tags, drones, and tags placed on multiple members of the same hunting group may reveal even more about how the whales communicate, choose their positions, and coordinate their movements.
The study was authored by scientists from Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Stanford University, the University of California Santa Cruz, Syracuse University, the Whale Center of New England, and the Center for Coastal Studies. Funding was provided by the Volgenau Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
Rachel Plunkett is the content manager and senior writer editor for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Laura Howes is the outreach specialist for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Editor's note: This article originally stated that the study used DTAGs. The researchers later confirmed that they used CATS tags, and the article has been updated accordingly.