Scientists manage to capture rare video of humpback whale breastfeeding

A humpback whale breastfeeding underwater was captured on video by scientists. This event took place in the depths of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia.

The footage shows a whale calf breaching after breastfeeding its mother. Scientists hope that these unique images will contribute to the conservation of this species.

The video shows a 900-kilogram humpback whale calf rising to the surface in Cupica Bay to take a breath. Such a feeding has only been captured on camera twice before, and this rare moment was captured by a team of biologists from the Macuaticos Foundation last August.

Read also: Scientists managed to film whale shark feeding on the ocean floor (rare footage)

According to biologist Natalie Botero, who leads the team, "despite decades of effort by thousands of researchers, hours of work, collaboration, and lactation recordings are extremely rare." This video is important from a scientific point of view and also plays an important role in the conservation of this species.

To capture this unique footage, special sensors were used that were attached to the whale's back for several hours. These sensors included a camera, GPS, and a device for recording the sounds made by the whales. They were installed in such a way as not to harm the animal, ScienceAlert reports.

Every year, thousands of humpback whales move from the Antarctic Peninsula and the Strait of Magellan in Chile to warm tropical waters to breed in the Pacific Ocean from Costa Rica to Peru. From June to November, humpback whales are in the waters off Colombia. These giant cetaceans can reach lengths of up to 17 meters, weigh about 40 tons and travel about 8,500 kilometers during the breeding season.

Although humpback whales are now protected from commercial hunting, they still face various threats. "By studying their behavior and increasing our awareness of them, we can promote appropriate conservation measures for this species," said Natalie Botero.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the number of humpback whales is increasing, but they still face certain challenges, and studying their lives and habits will help to address these threats and conserve these extremely important marine mammals.

Earlier, scientists recorded how killer whales attacked a white shark and ate its liver.

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