Home / Environment / Drone Films Incredible Humpback Calf Birth
Drone Films Incredible Humpback Calf Birth
29 Jul
Summary
- Drone footage captured the first-ever birth of a humpback whale calf.
- The calf weighed approximately 1.5 tonnes and was born near northern NSW.
- Whale populations have significantly increased since the end of whaling.
A drone operator has captured what is believed to be the world's first footage of a humpback whale giving birth. The calf, weighing approximately 1.5 tonnes, was born near the coast of northern New South Wales on Monday. Drone footage showed the calf appearing and being assisted by its mother to take its first breaths.
Researchers from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) observed the mother and calf resting at the surface, a behaviour known as logging. They also noted the presence of other whales and sharks in the vicinity. While sharks may have been attracted by the afterbirth, young whales are generally not at high risk of predation.
This event serves as a powerful symbol of the significant recovery of humpback whale populations. Numbers have surged from near extinction in the 1960s to an estimated 50,000 annually traveling along Australia's east coast. This increase is attributed to the cessation of whaling and allows for greater public observation of whale behaviour.
