RARE footage showing a blue whale nursing their calf has been captured for the first time.
Calving behaviour, as well as the reproductive rituals, among blue whales has largely been a mystery until now.
Marine scientist Dr Karen Edyvane, of Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Australian National University (ANU), has been researching blue whales in Timor-Leste, a small country in Asia, since 2006.
“Our decade-long research and ‘citizen science’ program has documented some of the lesser-known, intimate reproductive behaviours of blue whales, some for the very first time,” she said.
“It’s very, very exciting.
“From newborn calves and nursing mothers to amorous adults in courtship, the waters of Timor-Leste really are providing blue whale scientists with some of our first glimpses into the private lives of one of the world’s largest but most elusive animals.”
The underwater video footage of a Pygmy blue whale mother and her nursing calf was captured during the Insider Divers Expedition in 2022, but published only recently.
Separate drone footage shot in 2023 also reveals two adult Pygmy whales engaging in intimate courtship.
The narrow Ombai-Wetar Strait that divides Timor and its fellow archipelago islands has been found to be a major migration corridor for Pygmy blue whales.
After nearly two decades researching the waters of Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, Dr Edyvane has branded the area an “extraordinary” location for blue whale research.
“Timor-Leste’s deep, nearshore waters, particularly in the narrow Ombai-Wetar Strait along the north coast of the country, provide one of the most accessible and best locations for blue whale research in the world,” she added.
“Since 2014, our program has sighted over 2,700 blue whales in Timor-Leste’s waters, monitoring their annual migration along the country’s north coast.
“On a global level, these numbers are truly extraordinary.”
Until now, it has been a mystery when, where and how blue whales reproduce.
Dr Elanor Bell, a researcher at the Australian Antarctic Division
In 2008, the coast of Timor-Leste was identified to be a ‘global cetacean hotspot’, by Australian scientists, including Dr Edyvane.
Cetacean is the group noun for all 90 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Dr Elanor Bell, a researcher at the Australian Antarctic Division and an Australian Government representative within the IWC’s Scientific Committee, said the footage is evidence that Timor-Leste is not only an important foraging area for blue whales, but also are critical for reproduction.
“Until now, it has been a mystery when, where and how blue whales reproduce,” she added.
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