High-precision localized feeding by blue whales.

Blue whales in the eastern North Pacific precisely locate feeding areas by sensing surface thermal gradients, enabling targeted foraging in dynamic habitats.

• Why it matters: Understanding how large marine predators find patchy prey in vast, changing environments is crucial for conservation and ecosystem management, yet remains poorly understood.
• What they did: The study combined animal- and satellite-borne sensing to track blue whale movements over hundreds of kilometers, analyzing their responses to thermal fronts and gradients during day and night.
• The result: Findings reveal that blue whales use thermal gradient cues, especially temperature minima, to navigate and locate prey, highlighting the importance of thermal sensory perception in marine foraging strategies.