Some whales do consume crabs and other similar crustaceans, but this diet is highly specialized and not typical of all whale species. The consumption of crabs depends entirely on the whale’s feeding type and whether it is adapted to forage on the ocean floor. While most large whales feed on tiny organisms floating in the water column, a few unique species target bottom-dwelling prey. These specialized strategies allow a small number of whales to incorporate crabs, shrimp, and other benthic life into their regular diet.
Understanding Baleen and Toothed Whale Differences
Whales are divided into two suborders that dictate their dietary approach: baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti).
Baleen whales lack teeth and instead possess plates of keratin, which hang from the upper jaw and act as a fine sieve. These whales are filter feeders, engulfing large volumes of water and then pushing it back out. This process traps massive quantities of small prey on the baleen fringes, making them best suited for consuming dense schools of small organisms in the water column.
Toothed whales, in contrast, possess conical teeth and are active hunters that typically target individual prey. Species like dolphins, sperm whales, and killer whales use their teeth to grip fish, squid, or marine mammals, often swallowing them whole. Many toothed whales also utilize echolocation, sending out sonic clicks to pinpoint the location and size of prey in dark or deep waters.
Specific Whales That Consume Crabs and Benthic Crustaceans
The Gray Whale is the most prominent example of a baleen whale that regularly consumes benthic crustaceans, such as amphipods and small crabs. This species is unique among its relatives because it is a bottom-feeder, often turning onto its side to scoop up sediment from the ocean floor. The whale then uses its coarse baleen plates to filter the muddy water, retaining the small invertebrates while expelling the silt and water.
Certain toothed whales also target crabs and other benthic life. The Beluga Whale, for example, has a varied diet that includes crabs, shrimp, clams, and sandworms found on the sea bottom. Belugas often forage in shallow coastal areas and use their flexible necks and strong lips to generate suction, allowing them to dislodge and consume invertebrates directly from the substrate. Bryde’s whales, a species of baleen whale, have also been documented consuming red crabs and other crustaceans when these species form dense, accessible swarms near the surface.
The Typical Diets of Major Whale Groups
The majority of the world’s whales rely on food sources other than bottom-dwelling crustaceans. The immense size of the largest baleen whales is sustained by consuming vast amounts of tiny, schooling organisms. Blue whales and Fin whales, for instance, primarily feed on krill, which are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that form massive swarms in nutrient-rich polar waters. Humpback whales also consume krill, supplementing their diet with small schooling fish like herring and capelin, often using coordinated bubble-net feeding techniques.
Most toothed whales focus on prey found higher in the water column. Orcas, or Killer Whales, are apex predators with a diet consisting of fish, squid, seals, and other marine mammals. Deep-diving species like the Sperm Whale are known to hunt large squid in the dark depths of the ocean. For these whales, crabs and similar organisms are simply not a part of their active hunting niche.