A group of humpback whales burst from the surface of the water, mouths gaping, small fish wriggling desperately to escape their cavernous jaws. This is the extraordinary cooperative feeding behavior of humpback whales known as "bubble-net feeding." Only a handful of whales in southeast Alaska acquire their meals using this method. A group of whales simultaneously dive below a school of fish, each with an assigned task. A couple whales are "bubble blowers." They exhale bubbles through their blowholes while swimming in a circle below the fish. This creates a screen of rising bubbles which frighten the fish into a central area. Other whales are "flipper flashers," using the white undersides of their long pectoral fins to scare the fish into a clustered pack. Finally, there is the "caller," a whale who trumpets out a long wailing cry to signal it is time to dine. Together the whales swim straight up into the frightened, confused fish, mouths opened wide enough to take in a small boat, and explode out of the water with a tasty meal. Photographer: Emily Mount