Drones have unlocked a completely new human perspective of the world. However, something we were yet to see from our technological bird's-eye view was the moment a humpback whale brought its newborn into the watery world.
That was until July 28, when photographer Alexander Forrest became the first to capture the once-in-a-lifetime event with his drone off the north coast of New South Wales, Australia.
While carrying out aerial observations of migrating humpback whales for the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), he noticed one of the whales acting strangely.
“Between the southbound and northbound migrators, one whale stood out – a lone adult, travelling in the shallows at a very slow speed,” he said in an Instagram post.
“The whale suddenly rose toward the surface, so I hit record – any breath is a chance to capture a unique behavior.”
ABOVE: The rare moment a humpback calf 'jets' from its mother to the surface, taking its first breaths
However, the female humpback wasn’t short of breath, coming to the surface to deliver her calf. “It was extraordinary – my adrenaline was through the roof, and it echoes into the footage,” he said.
The video captured a plume of blood erupting from the female humpback, which was the moment Alex zoomed in with the drone camera. Then, moments later, a pale calf “jetted” to the surface taking its first breaths before reuniting with mother.
Upon realizing what he’d just witnessed, Alex contacted ORRCA and was shortly joined by fellow drone pilots from the organization. The group continued documenting the mother and calf’s behavior until sunset, with the ORRCA team back at HQ staying in touch over the phone.
As only the fourth sighting of a humpback whale giving birth ever recorded, Alex said his footage will aid research into how the species reproduces, maternal behavior and the initial stages of a calf’s life.
“It’s a privilege to have witnessed such a remarkable moment, and even more rewarding to know it may contribute to marine mammal science for years to come.”
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