A video of the Marching Airplane showed two endangered whales swimming in Cape Cod Bay, which borders Massachusetts, apparently embracing their flippers.
Wildlife photographer Brian Skerry and scientists from the Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography and Aquarium in New England, USA, captured the footage on February 28th.
Scientists said, “Woods Hole” that such behavior is rarely noticed, and this may be the first time that a whale embrace from the air has been recorded.
“The researchers saw what appeared to be two whales embracing their fins … in an apparent display of affection and an attempt to mate,” the research team said in a statement.
The “North Atlantic whales” are among the most endangered animals on the planet, with an estimated number of only 360.
These whales are also vulnerable to ship strikes and potential entanglement with commercial fishing gear.
Scientists said that there is a bright spot, as these whales were born during the last winter in greater numbers, which scientists have witnessed since 2015.
Source: AP