Humpback whale gives birth and calf takes first breath in HISTORIC world-first drone footage

A historic humpback whale birth has been captured on camera for the first time using a drone – giving scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the earliest moments of a calf’s life.

The remarkable footage shows the newborn emerging from its mother before taking its very first breath at the surface.

The encounter is believed to be only the fourth complete humpback whale birth ever recorded on film anywhere in the world.

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It is also thought to be the first ever captured by drone.

The footage was recorded on Tuesday, July 28, by an ORRCA drone that spotted an adult female behaving unusually as she travelled north.

The team then watched as the tiny calf emerged and surfaced for its first breath.

Alongside fellow ORRCA drone pilot Tanya Snowden and friend Dominic Cotter-Dephoff, the team continued observing the mother and calf for several hours.

Their footage captured valuable observations of the pair during the crucial first hours of the calf’s life.

While humpback whales give birth every year, witnessing an entire birth sequence from start to finish is exceptionally rare.

Researchers say encounters such as this could help improve understanding of humpback whale reproduction, maternal behaviour and the earliest stages of a calf’s development.

ORRCA’s research team will now carry out a detailed scientific analysis of the footage and accompanying observations.

The findings are expected to be prepared for publication as a peer-reviewed scientific note.

The organisation said it hoped the footage would make a valuable contribution to the international understanding of the giant marine mammals.

The precise location of the encounter has not been disclosed in order to protect the welfare of the mother and her newborn calf.

Humpback whales undertake long annual migrations between feeding and breeding grounds, with mothers typically giving birth to a single calf after a gestation period of around 11 to 12 months.

The extraordinary footage offers a rare window into a moment few people have ever witnessed – the instant a humpback calf entered the world and took its first breath.

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