“It was extraordinary – my adrenaline was through the roof” says photographer who captured world-first drone footage of rare marine event

Photographer Alexander Forrest has made history by becoming the first to capture world-first drone footage of a rare marine event – the birth of a humpback whale calf. While conducting aerial observations of migrating humpback whales off the north coast of New South Wales, Australia, Forrest noticed an unusual behavior from a lone adult female whale.

As she rose toward the surface, Forrest hit record, capturing the incredible moment when the female humpback delivered her calf. In a statement, Forrest described his adrenaline being "through the roof," as the footage showed a plume of blood erupting from the mother, followed by her pale calf "jetting" to the surface to take its first breaths before reuniting with her mother.

This unprecedented footage, only the fourth recorded sighting of a humpback whale giving birth, will aid research into the species' reproduction, maternal behavior, and the early stages of a calf's life.

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