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“It was extraordinary - my adrenaline was through the roof” says photographer who captured world-first drone footage of rare marine event
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Photographer Alexander Forrest captured the first-ever drone footage of a humpback whale giving birth off the north coast of New South Wales, Australia, on July 28.
- While observing migrating humpback whales for the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), Forrest noticed a female whale delivering her calf at the surface.
- The video shows the calf taking its first breaths before reuniting with its mother, marking only the fourth recorded sighting of a humpback whale birth.
- Forrest's footage is expected to provide valuable insights into humpback whale reproduction, maternal behavior, and early calf development, contributing to marine mammal research.
- Following the birth, ORRCA drone pilots continued monitoring the mother and calf, maintaining communication with the organization's headquarters throughout the observation.
