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Hassan Ali Khan

@casaumi

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Filming aquatic/underwater sequences: global baitballs, predation, migration, and pelagic life.

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Hundreds of silky sharks were feeding on a massive bait ball when a humpback whale suddenly joined the feast.

With its mouth wide open, the whale lunges through the school of fish, taking advantage of the same feeding opportunity as the sharks.

Captured by @casaumi

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In The Bag

📽 by @casaumi

With seabirds wheeling overhead and a frantic sardine baitball churning near the surface, roughly a hundred pelicans sat waiting, constantly plunging into the dense cluster of fish. Below, sea lions and skipjack tuna charged upward in relentless waves. Every time these underwater hunters drove the school to the surface, the birds seized their opportunity, forcing the fish right back down into the jaws of the waiting predators. Trapped in a nightmare sandwich with zero escape routes, the sardines could only cling to the safety of the shoal. It didn't help - the baitball was systematically dismantled until nothing was left.

The jagged tears seen in a pelican's throat pouch are often the result of the pure chaos of an unhinged feeding frenzy. When these birds hit the water at high speeds, their pouches balloon out to scoop up prey, making them incredibly vulnerable to collisions with marlin, sea lions, or the sharp beaks of their fellow competitors. While discarded fishing tackle remains the primary threat for these kinds of gruesome injuries, the sheer violence of a multi-species feeding frenzy runs a close second.

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goodnight instagram

footage via @casaumi

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That’s one Big Gulp 😦

Humpback whales can expand their throat pleats to take in about 5,000 gallons of water when they open their mouths to feed. This capture from @casaumi shows an adult lunge feeding, where a humpback will plow through the water column at 6-9mph through a concentrated area of food. 🐟

The water is then strained through their baleen and the small fish such as krill, herring and plankton remain in their mouth and travel down into their belly.

Forever in awe of the big blue and these gentle giants. 💙

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Rare moments seen in the vast blue of our planet can string together an incredible story. The stage that our oceans provide is home to some of the greatest theatrical displays on our planet. ⁠
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When you venture into the open ocean, this story unfolds like a dramatic play: the stage dominated by a playful, curious and sometimes assertive humpback, holding it’s place among hundreds of silky sharks, skipjack, sea lions, pelicans and frigates - gathered on the same stage, driven by the primal need of what connects them all: the bait ball.⁠
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“As much as moments like this can be a personal privilege to witness,” @casaumi reflects, “there is also an even greater responsibility to share and inspire where appropriate. The ocean continues to give, in ways that are truly immeasurable even after all we take.”⁠
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Footage by @casaumi

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the year so far thru feb :)

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False killer whales breaching in Baja 🚀🖤🔪🔥

🎥: @whatcameradoyouhave

#falsekillerwhale #falsekillerwhales #blackfish #falsies #baja #cetacean #nomaddiving #pseudorca #exotics #veryrare

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Marine biologist, Naturalist, and Co-Director of the @sbwhaleheritage, Holly Lohuis @holly_lohuis details the past, present, and future for the blue whales off the California Coast in my short film “BATTLE of the BLUES,” out now on my youtube channel 🐋

With over 30 years of experience working to protect our ocean’s, Holly is the perfect example of an outstanding ocean steward. Whether she is naturalizing on whale watching boats, creating local events to celebrate our marine diversity, or most importantly, helping kids from local communities get out to experience our oceans, it’s hard to put Holly’s dedication to our ocean’s into words.

This past season, the Santa Barbara channel exploded with whale activity, specifically blue whale activity. I recall a day when both Holly and I were out at sea, and there must’ve been 35+ blue whales, 25+ humpback whales, and 10+ fin whales feeding in a few miles stretch of the channel. Areas like this are crucially important to protect and serve as a great reminder to the resiliency of our oceans. Once upon a time, blue whales were so rare in our oceans, scientists were unsure if one would ever be spotted again. Thanks to international protections around the globe, the once thought to be extinct population of ocean giants, slowly started to recover. Holly details their intricate lives and their bustling home so eloquently. I am thankful to call her a very close friend! 🫶🏻

Watch the entire short film now using the LINK IN MY BIO! 🔗

Featuring : @holly_lohuis
Scene Cinematography : @adamernsterwildlife @slatermoorephotography
Vessel support : @islandpackers
Drone footage : @adamernsterwildlife
Stock footage : @openplanetorg
Underwater blue whale : @casaumi

A collaborative production between @adamernsterwildlife // @bluewhalesblueskies // @sbwhaleheritage

#santabarbara #santabarbarawhalewatch #sbww #santabarbarachannel #channelislands #southerncalifornia #killerwhale #orca #whale #whalewatching #seesb #humpback #bluewhale #balaenopteramusculus #battleoftheblues

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Family unites mankind and the animal kingdom. It’s the most important thing. 🖤
Seeing baby false killer whales playing, chin slapping and leaping out of the water with their family members was very special. These babies are six feet long at birth, after being in their mom’s tummy for around 16 months. They nurse for up to two years, and often stick with their family group for life.

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False killer whales in the shallows 🖤⚔️🤯🔥

🎥: @whatcameradoyouhave | shot with @nomad_diving

#falsekillerwhale #falsekillerwhales #blackfish #falsies #cetacean #nomaddiving #pseudorca #exotics #veryrare

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False killer whales breaching 🚀🖤🔪🔥 | Sometimes everything just lines up. Yesterday - we encountered a group of 25+ false killer whales in incredibly shallow water. One had a fresh kill in its mouth - and the pod was already celebrating as we arrived by breaching, spy hopping, and showing curiosity.

We spent the entire afternoon with them as they patrolled the coastline, exploring sandy bottoms and reef edges in search of fish.

It has been a quieter week in Baja this past week - but yesterday the endless dedication, relentless persistence, and nonstop searching paid off. We struck gold with a mega pod of sperm whales and this remarkable group of false killer whales. It was my first time ever encountering falsies in Mexico - and there was no better way to spend it with awesome friends and great memories.

🎥: @whatcameradoyouhave | shot with @nomad_diving

#falsekillerwhale #falsekillerwhales #blackfish #falsies #baja #cetacean #nomaddiving #pseudorca #exotics #veryrare

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A most curious pair of Bryde’s whales: After over one hour of continuous lunges and reconnoissance passes this pair continued to investigate me floating in the green. Even with their somewhat awkward movements, they still managed to remain undetected with complete stealth until they decided to let their presence be known.

🎥 @casaumi
🎥 @nauticamhousings

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