They often roll on their sides while feeding. The whale dives down, then swims in a spiral while blowing a series of bubbles by releasing air from the blowholes. Sometimes several humpback whales come up through the bubble net one at a time to feed. Some species of rorquals also use a flick-feeding method. Using the tail flukes in a quick sweeping motion, a whale can herd fish into the mouth area.
Gray whales feed along the ocean floor.
A gray whale dives to the bottom, turns on one side and sucks in water, mud, and food. Food consists of bottom-dwelling animals such as marine worms and crustaceans, which are abundant in ocean sediments. The relatively short and course baleen traps food and lets the water and mud escape to the outside. Scientists have documented large excavated areas on the ocean floor in gray whale feeding grounds and have observed gray whales surfacing after feeding, trailing streams of mud. Gray whales may also occasionally feed in the water column on free-swimming crustaceans.