>>>>>>>>>>>>I watched some of this last night. Its a BBC nature programme and it showed whales catching herrings using bubble nets (never heard of this before)
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>http://www.alaskawhalefoundation.org/education/bubble_net/bubble_net_feeding.html
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Absolutely stunning TV
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Wasn't it! When they were filming the herring bait ball being attacked from above and below by the birds, then suddenly, without warning or comment, the huge humpback whale mouth shot in from the side, took nearly all of it, and the whale went "Thanks for bringing them all together for me, chaps (BURP)" and off it popped.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Have seen footage of that whale form of corralling and fishing before - probably on one of the other David Attenborough major prod's - probably teh one on the Oceans a few years ago (The Big Blue?)
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Yes I had to rewind and watch it again when the whale just appeared and ate everything. I imagine a few seagulls went in as well
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>In the "making of" prog afterwards (named "Swallowed by a whale") where they discuss the problems, etc. of making the films, the cameraman was talking about this awesome event (that will live with him forever) and he'd mentioned about the danger of actually being eaten by the whale which was concentrating and intent on the bait ball. He said it was improbable and that he'd seen whales spit out accidentally grabbed seabirds.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Can you imagine it in the whale's mind: "Ugh! Feathers! Ptah!"
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>If I recall what little I know about whales; if they can't get rid of something that size, they will probably choke to death because their throats are extremely small in relation to the size of their mouths.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Well Jonah must have been pretty slim then (and able to respire anaerobically!)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I guess they can swallow a fish as big as a seagull, though.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I think it might be close. From the website: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/blue_whale.htm,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Surprisingly, despite almost every other measurement being so large, a blue whale's oesophagus or gullet is a mere 4 inches or 10 cm in diameter, so it would have problems swallowing a whole grapefruit, this could never have been the whale that swallowed Jonah.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Now they say whales are intelligent. Well it's about time one of them discovered the Heimlich maneuvre!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>They don't like to hug. They feel it's not manly.
>>>>>
>>>>>They do hug when one of them starts to blubber. And if they did discover the maneuvre, it would be a fluke. I should know, I've baleen whale watching.
>>>>
>>>>You are not only punning without a porpoise, you are punning without a license. I'll let you off with a warning if you promise not to humpback with any more of them.
>>>
>>>Narwhal, you try and minke me. You've no right, you cheeky beluga.
>>
>>Cheeky beluga? LOL. Whazzat? I tried to come up with a pun on beluga and failed just as miserably.
>
>As in "cheeky bugger". Maybe you don't have the word "cheeky" over there - means "insolent" ("hard-faced" where I come from)

The cheeky part I got. I know what it means (in addition to the verb form). Still not sure bugger and beluga are that close, but NBD.