What is a “feeding frenzy” in the ocean? A feeding frenzy occurs when there is an abundance of prey (bait fish like sardines or anchovies) and predators (dolphin, birds, sea lions and sometimes baleen whales too). Dolphin are known to herd the bait driving it to the surface. This usually leads to the bait fish instinctively forming a bait ball which is a defence mechanism. We can often see these bait balls not only several feet in diameter, but also several feet deep. Birds seeing this from the