The food gets trapped behind the baleen. Right and bowhead whales, or the skimmers, feed in a slightly different manner. Water and food flows through a gap in the front of their baleen plates, the food gets trapped inside the baleen, and the water flows out through gaps on the sides of their mouths. Even though baleen whales eat very small things on the food chain, they are very large. In fact, the blue whale is the largest animal on earth.
Many whales are endangered, largely due to past hunting.
Years ago, people used the oil from the blubber of whales for all sorts of items, including oil burned in lamps and ingredients for manufacturing lipstick. A waxy substance called ambergris, which is from a sperm whale's digestive system, was used in making perfume. In fact, ambergris was very valuable, and a large lump found by a beachgoer was worth a fortune. Since 1986, there has been a temporary ban on hunting the large whales for commercial uses. This is controversial, because the products from these whales are still used commercially.