Summer By late May or early June, all the whales have arrived in Alaska and the North Atlantic. In these food rich waters, the sun has triggered a blossoming of tiny algae plants called phytoplankton, and tiny, microscopic animals called zooplankton. These creatures form the begining of the food Sandlance are one of the many small fish that humpbacks find delicious. Courtesy Anne Smrcina chain that will feed the next larger creatures, the crustaceans and small fishes. Literally millions and millions of small krill, herring and sand-lance form pockets of large schools on which the humpbacks dine hungrily. Remember that the whales, except for the nursing calves, have not eaten since they went south the previous year! The whale has made adaptations so it can efficiently eat enough fish to satisfy a big hunger. With their mouths open they lunge through large schools of little fish. Their pleated throats allow them to take in huge quantities of water and food. As they surface, they close their mouths and tighten their throats to push out the sea water. The tiny fish and crustaceans are trapped inside the sieve-like baleen inside their mouths. Gulp! A small belly full of fish for each successful mouthful! Map courtesy of NOAA One of the North Atlantic hot spots for feeding is the Stellwagen Marine Sanctuary and Banks in and around Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The National Marine Sanctuary program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are 13 sites designated in the United States. Stellwagen Bank was nominated for National Marine Sanctuary status because of its importance as a whale feeding ground and because of its long history as an important fishing ground. Congress designated the Sanctuary in 1992 with legislation that was signed by President George Bush. Humpbacks can eat more than a ton of food a day. In the North Atlantic, the whales will fish an area thoroughly, then move on, often into a feeding area further out to sea, or north into new fertile waters. They will feed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the waters off of Newfoundland, the southwestern Greenland, and up to Iceland in the Denmark Strait. Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form