FIRST GLIMPSE: Drones Capture Rare ‘Lunge Feeding’ Footage of Endangered Whales

While studying dolphin pods in the Hauraki Gulf off the northern coast of New Zealand, researchers with the Auckland University of Technology spotted two Byrde’s whales — an adult and a calf. The species is so rare that they just couldn’t miss the opportunity to film them.

Using a state-of-the-art waterproof drone, the team collected footage of the rare whales “lunge feeding,” a behavior that hitherto had been largely unseen, as most whale research is done by ship. With only 50 Byrde’s whales remaining in the Hauraki Gulf, this may be the only such footage we ever see.

Check out the incredible video below:

See more drone footage of an enormous blue whale nursing her calf!