An Australian cinematographer managed to film the exceptional process of a humpback whale giving birth not far from the northern coast of New South Wales, which, according to experts, is the first such case in history to be fully captured by a drone. An employee of the Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia noticed a female moving slowly in the water, which gave birth to a calf a short time later.
The video clearly shows the newborn whale surfacing for the first time to take a breath, while the mother turns around and returns to it, with the entire process taking place about 700 meters from the shore. According to researchers, this is the first time in the world that a drone has been able to capture the birth of a humpback whale, while similar live births have generally only been successfully filmed for the fourth time.
Scientists have begun studying the unique footage in detail and are preparing to publish a scientific paper, as the circumstance of the female giving birth separated from her pod has generated great interest. Newborn humpback whales stay with their mother for about 11 months, weighing up to 1.36 tons and gaining around 45 kilograms of mass daily to gather strength for their first long migration of thousands of kilometers toward polar waters.
This exceptional footage holds great scientific value, as the natural breeding conditions of whales often remain a hidden mystery to humans. Researchers are particularly interested in how the animal behaves away from its usual pod. The developments of the event and the subsequent conclusions of scientists are worth following closely.
