Super Rare Humpback Whale Birth Filmed by Drone For The First Time Off The Coast of Australia
A drone pilot in Australia successfully captured the first-ever footage of a humpback whale giving birth in the wild. The rare event was documented off the coast of New South Wales.
Why it matters
This footage provides unprecedented scientific insight into cetacean reproductive behavior and maternal care.
Add ScienceAlert on Google A baby humpback whale's first moments in the open ocean have been captured using drone photography for the first time.
Calm conditions and perfect timing allowed drone pilot and exhibition filmmaker Alexander Forrest to capture the birth in unprecedented detail.
Forrest, who regularly takes his camera drone out to capture imagery of Australia's wildlife, was tracking a group of migrating humpback whales from above as they passed by the north coast of New South Wales in late July.
He noticed an adult female swimming much slower than they usually do, almost as if drifting to shore.
"It was just a routine flight… and there was this one whale that wasn't migrating north or south like all the others, but just got this super slow, consistent, almost labored behavior right behind the surf break," Forrest told ScienceAlert.
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