Is This Part of the Whale Mating Ritual?

Very little is known about social interactions between blue whales. How do they get along with each other? Do they interact other than to mate? What are their mating rituals like?

The video below is thought by photographer Patrick Dykstra and scientist Howard Martenstyn, may be the first video showing what they believe to be a blue whale"heat run."

The video shows a lone male pursuing a female. In blue whales, females are typically larger than males. 

You can read more about the research being done into blue whales and the article related to this video by reading "Mysterious Blue Whale Behavior Likely Filmed for First Time" from National Geographics website.

Drones are becoming an increasingly popular and useful tool for studying animals in their natural habitat. Hopefully, drone operators do not start interfering with animals in their natural environment in order to get a "cool shot" or viral YouTube video.