A drone operator captured rare video of a humpback whale giving birth off the coast of Kingscliff, New South Wales, on Tuesday [1].
The footage is scientifically significant because the birth of a humpback whale is an extremely rare natural event to document. Such a moment has been captured on video only four times [2].
Alex Forrest, a volunteer with the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), operated the drone during the encounter [1]. The device was positioned approximately 700 meters from the shore when it recorded the event [1].
Forrest filmed the sequence on Tuesday afternoon, July 29, 2026 [1]. The footage shows the calf emerging as it is born in the open water off the Australian coast [1].
Because these events typically occur in deep water or are obscured by the animal's size and the ocean's surface, aerial perspectives are often the only way to witness the process. The distance of the drone provided a safe vantage point for both the operator and the whales, while maintaining a clear line of sight on the birth [1].
ORRCA volunteers frequently monitor whale migrations along the coast to assist in research and rescue operations. This specific recording provides a visual record of a biological process that remains largely hidden from human observation [1].
“Such a moment has been captured on video only four times.”
The availability of high-resolution drone footage allows marine biologists to study the mechanics of cetacean birth without interfering with the animals' natural behavior. As one of only four known recordings of this event, the video serves as a critical data point for understanding humpback whale reproduction and calf emergence in the wild.
