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CBS News·3 min read·medium

Rare footage of humpback whale birth captured on drone video: "A remarkable moment"

L
Lucia I Suarez Sang
Rare footage of humpback whale birth captured on drone video: "A remarkable moment"
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A wildlife photographer captured the first-ever drone footage of a humpback whale giving birth off the coast of Australia. This rare observation provides scientists with valuable data on humpback reproduction and maternal behavior.

Why it matters

It offers a unique scientific opportunity to study the early life stages of an endangered species, contributing to long-term marine conservation efforts.

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For the first time, the birth of a humpback whale was captured via drone earlier this week.Filmed off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, on Tuesday, the video shows the water fill with blood before the newborn calf emerges to take its first breath.The nonprofit Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia, or ORRCA, said on social media that wildlife photographer Alexander Forrest was capturing images of whales during a northbound migration when he noticed an adult female "displaying unusual behaviour."In a post on Instagram, Forrest said that while the "ocean seemed like it was full of activity," this whale was traveling at a very slow speed."I was naïve in the rarity I was about to document," he wrote. "The whale suddenly rose toward the surface, so I hit record – any breath is chance to capture a unique behavior.

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