baleen whale

Baleen whales are large marine mammals known for their specialized feeding system called baleen, which are fringed plates in their mouths that filter food from the water. They primarily eat tiny creatures like krill and small fish. Instead of teeth, their baleen acts like a sieve, allowing them to take in huge amounts of water and then close their mouths and push the water out, trapping their prey inside. Examples include blue whales, humpback whales, and bowhead whales. They are part of the baleen whale family, distinguished from toothed whales by this filter-feeding adaptation.