A Remarkable Bond

As a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, I am studying the health of whales in Atlantic Canada using aerial drones. From the drone's unique overhead perspective, we can assess a whale's body condition, look for entanglements or injuries, and measure body temperature with specialized thermal sensors on the drone. While conducting fieldwork in the Bay of Fundy in September 2020, our team came across this mom-calf humpback whale pair. For approximately 10 minutes, we were able to observe the calf as it swam back and forth underneath its mother. I believe this photo captures the remarkable bond between the two whales. You can even see the playful calf blowing bubbles as it approaches the surface to breathe!