Do whales eat plankton?

A whale's diet consists of a wide variety of items, including fish and tiny plankton such as krill. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whales are known to feed in open waters, at the bottom of the sea and in shallow waters.

Whales have excellent senses. They can hear many different sounds, and they have keen eyesight whether they are in or out of the water. Beluga whales can live 35 to 50 years in the wild, and their natural predators include killer whales and polar bears. Whales make a wide variety of whistles, squeals, moos and chirps while swimming.