It’s quite common for the passengers and crew of whale watching safaris to see an assortment of incredible animals, including dolphins, sea lions, and whales. In fact, the captains go out of their way to take their passengers to the spots where they’re most likely to get a good glimpse. But no one had ever witnessed the miracle of a gray whale giving birth before, let alone captured it on camera!
To experience this first-hand was a once in a lifetime event.
Initially, when eyewitnesses saw the reddish-orange cloud in the water surrounding the majestic gray whale, they thought that they were witnessing the worst case scenario. But instead, they were seeing the exact opposite. New life was entering the world right in front of their very eyes.
“Many of us thought it may be a shark or predatory event. But no, instead of the end of life, it was the beginning of a new one,” said Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari.
In the incredible footage, you can see the mother whale and her baby swimming together, and touching each other. The boat crew and its passengers couldn’t help but gasp in awe as they watched the new mama assist her newborn baby in taking its first breaths. They couldn’t believe the magic that they were seeing. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and the awe-inspiring interactions are surreal to see.
How many people can say they have witnessed such an incredible miracle?
After seeing the mother and calf swimming together, onlookers were able to spot the baby popping its head out of the water.
“The mom is holding the calf up, supporting it so the calf can rest and actually helping it be able to take a breath,” said Alisa Schulman-Janiger of L.A.’s American Cetacean Society’s Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project.
The mama whale then swims under the boat, and lifts it slightly out of the water. Witnessing this event is so rare that this may in fact be the only video of a gray whale calf being born that has ever been captured!
“It’s extraordinarily rare and really, really special for people to be able to share in those first few moments of a young whale’s life. A whale could get to be 50, 60, 80 years old. And this is just the beginning of that calf life,” said Alisa.
You can check-out the absolutely incredible footage that onlookers were able to capture, below.
Featured Image: YouTube
Toledo, United States.
