Stunning photos show school of humpback whales ‘bubble feeding’ in perfect formation off Massachusetts coast

The mesmerizing moment when a group of humpback whales created beautiful concentric circles in the sea has been captured on an aerial camera.

Stunning photos taken by the New England Aquarium on Monday show four of the giant mammals “bubble-feeding” in perfect formation off the coast of Massachusetts.

Bright turquoise plumes can be seen on the ocean’s surface in a rare sighting just south of Martha’s Vineyard as the whales perform their intricate feeding ritual.

As the whales continue to perform their underwater magic, more and more near-luminous plumes create spiral shapes in the sea.

The phenomenon is a result of the whales blowing bubbles through their blowholes to create a ‘net’ of air that traps the krill.

Bright turquoise plumes can be seen on the ocean’s surface in a rare sighting just south of Martha’s Vineyard as the whales perform their intricate feeding ritual

Experts at the New England Aquarium described the sighting as “rare” and said one of the whales involved is likely at least 50 years old, as she was first seen in the mid-1970s.

They said that while distinctive as a species, individual humpback whales are normally difficult to identify because their most unique patterns are hidden on the underside of their tails.

But this particular whale, named Salt for her unusual white speckles, was identified as one of four whales spotted by Martha’s Vineyard this week.

“Last Monday, our aerial survey team spotted Salt, one of the most recognizable humpback whales in New England waters!” the aquarium said in a caption they shared along with the beautiful images.

“The easiest and most effective way to identify humpback whales is to look at the underside of their tails, which means it’s difficult for our aerial team to identify humpback whales from the air.

‘But Salt, which gets its name from the white speckled front of its dorsal fin, was easily spotted by our team of scientists from above among a group of 15 other humpback whales!

Salt, who was first seen in Massachusetts in the mid-1970s and has given birth to 16 calves, was seen bubbling with three other whales south of Martha’s Vineyard.

“It was a rare treat for our research team to see this iconic female humpback whale!”

As the whales continue to perform their underwater magic, more and more near-luminous plumes create spiral shapes in the sea

This phenomenon is a result of the whales blowing bubbles through their blowholes to create a ‘net’ of air that traps the krill

Other instances of the feeding ritual have been noted by researchers off the coast of Antarctica, Hawaii and New South Wales in Australia.

Humpback whales collect krill or other fish in the round ‘net’ of bubbles they blow out of their blowholes.

As the whales rise to the surface, the fish become entangled in the bubble net, within which the huge humpback whales can feast.

At up to 16 meters (52 feet) in length and weighing about 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lbs), humpback whales are the sixth largest whale species.

Despite their intimidating size, humpback whales are harmless to humans.

A huge ‘megapod’ of 150 humpback whales was spotted near Bermagui in New South Wales, Australia. Usually the creatures stay in small pods of 15 or less

Humpback whales can also live as long as humans – their average lifespan is estimated to be about 80 to 90 years, and they usually roam in small groups of 15 or fewer.

During the winter months, they leave the frigid waters of the North Atlantic and migrate to warmer climes.

They have been spotted in several places along the US coast, mostly in the Gulf of Maine, California, Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands.