Photograph Captures Baby Whale’s First Breath

A humpback whale calf being propped up by its mother (Micheline Jenner)

Australian researchers captured the above picture of a baby whale taking its first breath of life last week.

According to researcher Micheline Jenner, the “little thing began popping up and down at the surface trying to get a breath, until its mother swam under and lifted it up on her upper jaw. The cow held the calf gently in this position for about 10 seconds while it took what we now understand to be its first breath of life.”

The calf later approached the boat where the researchers could see that the baby as so new that its dorsal fin was still folded.

The mother will feed the baby calf about 300 liters of milk per day.