Drone Captures Dolphins Guiding Lost Humpback Whale to Deeper Water

Drone footage appears to show a pod of dolphins guiding a humpback whale out of shallow waters and back toward the open sea.

The Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury, Australia recorded the rare moment in mid-June. According to a report by IFL Science, the footage shows what conservationists believe may be one species assisting another — a phenomenon not commonly observed in the wild.

The whale had entered Koombana Bay, a shallow area not typically part of its migration route. While it’s normal for humpback whales to travel along this part of the coast at this time of year as they head north to breeding grounds, this animal was in an unusual and confined location tucked away in Koombana Bay.

After spotting the whale on drone footage, the local conservationist group launched additional drones and sent a boat to check for signs of injury or entanglement.

“This time of year tens of thousands of humpback whales are traveling past our coastline. Their northward migration from Antarctica to their breeding grounds in the northwest of W.A. leads them past Augusta and Cape Naturaliste in an almost straight line heading to the warmer waters,” The Dolphin Discovery Centre writes in a Facebook post.

“Sometimes it happens that an animal gets spooked by a predator, is poorly or injured, or might have a fishing gear entanglement. These animals then often seek for shelter in calmer and more shallow parts to rest up.”

While the whale appeared to be in good health, it had wandered into the shallow part of the bay. As a boat approached to assess the situation, drone footage from the Dolphin Discovery Centre showed a pod of dolphins swimming around the whale.

Volunteers then witnessed what seemed to be a remarkable interaction: the dolphins appeared to guide the whale out of the bay and into the deeper waters of Geographe Bay, helping it return to its northward migration route.

“After observing the animal from the air and vessel it appeared to be in good health and was not entangled which was quite a relief to see. Then the dolphins took over and while playing and interacting with each other they slowly guided their large cousin out of the bay towards the deeper waters of Geographe Bay heading back up north,” the Dolphin Discovery Centre writes.

This is not the only remarkable behavior captured by drone cameras. Earlier this week, researchers recorded drone footage showing killer whales using kelp to groom each other — an extraordinary first in marine tool use.