How does a whale without teeth eat its food?

Whales without teeth, known as baleen whales, have a unique feeding strategy that relies on baleen plates. These plates are made of keratin, the same material as human fingernails, and hang from the roof of their mouths like a curtain.

Here's how they eat:

1. Filter Feeding: Baleen whales open their mouths wide and swim through schools of small fish, krill, or plankton.

2. Water In, Food Out: As they swim, they take in large amounts of water along with their prey.

3. Baleen Filter: They then close their mouths and use their tongue to push the water out through the baleen plates. The plates act like a sieve, trapping the small food items while the water escapes.

4. Swallowing: Once the water is expelled, the whales swallow the concentrated food caught in the baleen.

So, instead of chewing, baleen whales use their baleen plates to filter out their food from the water. This feeding method is incredibly efficient and allows them to consume large quantities of small prey.