In the seemingly quiet fjords of northern Norway, drama unfolds beneath the surface—a dance of predator and prey, where swift orcas circle shimmering herring, and leviathans join the fray from the darkness below.

Fin whales are the second-largest species on the planet. They are known as the “greyhounds of the sea” for the speed at which they traverse the water—nearly 30 miles per hour. They grow up to 85 feet in length and weigh over 70 tons. Despite their size, they sustain themselves on plankton-sized animals and small fish.

We had been following a pod of orcas through a serene fjord in our tiny Zodiac when we first spotted these giants in the distance. Their huge blows fired into the air like geysers. Having noticed the orcas had begun their herring hunt, I was able to get in the icy water to witness their efforts to corral the fish into a bait ball. The slow, coordinated movement of the herring was hypnotizing to watch, and for a few moments, the scene almost seemed peaceful.

Distracted by the orcas, I had forgotten about the other visitors in the area. The herring sensed movement below before I did, quickly emerging from their trance.  They scattered out of their formation as a massive figure burst through the center of the bait ball.

Fin whales engage in what’s known as lunge feeding. An animal will accelerate toward the surface, turn its head, open its mouth, and suction in water along with a number of unfortunate fish. The whale’s pleated underside allows its mouth to expand to accommodate over 15,000 gallons of water, leaving a very disproportionate-looking body. Unlike toothed whales, fin whales have baleen inside their mouths. These bristly plates made of keratin line both sides of the upper jaw, acting as a sieve to filter out the water while trapping fish inside.

There had been a group of at least four whales that previously inspected the bait ball before circling back to make their move. Two of these giants are captured in this image, with the underside of the second faintly visible on the right.

Like tax collectors, the fin whales came to take their share from the orcas who had put in the effort to surround the fish. They say that fortune favors the brave. In this case, it favors the baleens.