Drone captures rare humpback whale birth off New South Wales
On 28 July 2026 a humpback whale calf was born near the coast of Kingscliff in northern New South Wales, Australia. The event was recorded by a drone operated by Alex Forrest, a volunteer with the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA). The footage, taken from more than 100 metres away in line with Australian wildlife regulations, is the first ever drone recording of a whale birth and only the fourth video of such a birth worldwide.
Marine biologist Vanessa Pirotta described the clip as a “magical moment”. ORRCA plans to analyse the material scientifically to improve understanding of humpback whale births, which were previously thought to occur only in tropical waters. The birth was observed during a migration season when roughly 50 000 humpback whales are expected to pass the region, far more than in earlier years.
Entities: Alex Forrest · Alexander Forrest · Annie Post · Humpback whale · Humpback whale · Kingscliff, New South Wales · Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia · Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA) · Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) · Vanessa Pirotta
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] The footage was taken from a distance of more than 100 metres, complying with Australian wildlife regulations. (Article)
- [● 9 SOURCES] This is the fourth recorded video of a humpback whale birth worldwide. (Article)
- [● 9 SOURCES] A humpback whale calf was born off the coast of Kingscliff in northern New South Wales, Australia on 28 July 2026. (Article)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The birth was captured on video by a drone for the first time. (Article)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The newborn calf weighed about 1.5 tonnes. (multiple articles)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The drone operator was Alex Forrest of the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA). (Article)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Approximately 50 000 humpback whales are expected to migrate this year, up from about 7 000 in 2004. (Article)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Marine biologist Vanessa Pirotta described the footage as a “magical moment”. (Article)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The footage will be scientifically analysed to improve knowledge of humpback whale births, which were previously thought to occur only in tropical waters. (Article)