2 Male Blue Whales Caught Competing for the Female’s Affection in Rare Mating Ritual

2 Male Blue Whales Caught Competing for the Female's Affection in Rare Mating Ritual
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/NOAA Photo Library)

Three blue whales were caught in a rare mating ritual. Two males were seemingly competing against each other to win the female's affection.

3 Whales in Rare Mating Ritual

Three whales, two of which are males, were seen racing and slamming into each other. The sighting happened off the coast of South Australia's town of Port Macdonnell when a team from Blue Whale Study, a local research program, conducted an aerial survey in the area.

Blue Whale Study shared some aerial shots on Facebook. The non-profit organization also accompanied it with some details about the sighting.

Researchers are occasionally fortunate to witness an amazing event involving animals, which was the case in the sighting. During an aerial survey last week, the team discovered three blue whales participating in "racing behavior," when two competing males -- potential mates -- chase a putative adult female at a fast speed, the organization wrote in the caption. Researchers in Canada who biopsied a racing group have confirmed it. Such incident rarely happens, and they saw it once in 2003.

The males tried to stay near the female, but she commanded the many changes in direction and pace. The researchers noted that the males also tried to outpace and physically displace one another.

"It was a spectacular display of massive power and grace, one of the great sights in natu."d.

According to the researchers, they circled for about 15 minutes and decided to leave the trio alone while still racing.

The Bonney Coast Upwelling occurs in this area of the ocean throughout the summer. When cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface, it brings a glut of plankton and draws whales with it.

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Humpback Whales Show Homosexual Behavior

Meanwhile, two male humpback whales having sex was captured on camera. Photographers Brandi Romano and Lyle Krannichfeld documented the encounter when the two whales got close to their private boat; Romano was the first to notice.

According to the pair, the first whale looked to be in terrible condition. He was thin and covered with lice, with terrible damage to his lower jaw, probably from being struck by a ship.

The second whale, however, appeared to be in excellent physical condition and had his penis out throughout the entire interaction. The second whale approached his ailing comrade, giving him support with his pectoral fins as he repeatedly inserted his penis into its genital slit -- the opening to the cavity where the penis is often concealed.

The first whale was very sick and possibly very close to death. Because of this, it is challenging for researchers to explain the encounter because there are multiple possibilities as to why the second whale engaged in such sexual activity.

One might have been fostering a closer social bond with a sick friend. There are other, less valuable explanations, though. Maybe the second whale was trying to prove he was better than the weaker one, or perhaps he was trying to look bigger and fitter than the other whale.

The first whale reportedly adopted what appeared to be a protective posture. The researchers speculated that this could mean the first whale, who appeared sick, found the sexual behavior undesirable, but it was too weak to oppose the unwelcome sexual conduct.