Blue whales execute impressive 360-degree rolls to capture
bigger mouthfuls of krill. Blue whales, the world's largest
predators, execute acrobatic 360-degree rolls when feeding on
krill. Blue whales are now the only known rorqual whales (the
largest group of baleen whales) that can complete a full circle
roll. Other whales only go around 90-150 degrees, according to a
study in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters. Considering
that blue whales grow close to 100 feet long and can weigh
around 397,000 pounds, the feat is quite an achievement. The
massive mammals manage the trick in two steps. Lead author
Jeremy Goldbogen told Discovery News that the first phase starts
with an "180-degree roll prior to mouth opening, when the lunge
occurs as the whale opens its mouth and engulfs the prey-laden
water, which in this case is krill." For the second phase,
there's "a further 180-degree roll in the same direction to
complete the 360-degree spin. This maneuver is powered by
several powerful fluke strokes and the ti