Researchers Capture Birth of Humpback Whale on Video

A rare high-quality drone video was captured by the UH Marine Mammal Research Program of a newborn humpback whale calf and mother on Jan. 20, 2019, between Maui and Lānaʻi.

Courtesy photo.

This is the closest (estimated within 20 minutes) that the researcher has been to a live birth in 25 years.

Lars Bejder, director, Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, was the drone operator. Part of the programʻs study of the effects of climate change, human activities and prey availability on whales and dolphins.

Courtesy photo.

The program recently launched a new website and social media platforms (Twitter and Instagram: MMRP_UH, Facebook: MMRPUH, Youtube: MMRP UH) to build awareness.

To help achieve its mission, the program is also accepting donations online to fund research initiatives and student scholarships. All donations are tax-exempt.

Key collaborators for this video included: Ultimate Whale Watch, Oceanwide Science Institute and the Applied Research Laboratory of the University of Hawai‘i.