Mirissa Pygmy Blue Whale baleen feeding: krill swarms and surface lunge mechanics?

Pygmy Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) inhabiting the waters off Mirissa rely on dense swarms of pelagic krill (Nyctiphanes capensis and Pseudeuphausia latifrons). The narrow continental shelf and deep Dondra submarine canyon create vigorous upwelling currents that push nutrient-rich deep water into sunlit surface layers, triggering massive phytoplankton blooms that sustain swarming krill. Whales feed via high-speed surface and sub-surface lunge-feeding: accelerating into krill patches with expanded ventral pleats, engulfing thousands of gallons of water and food, and straining seawater out through black keratin baleen plates.