Photographers captured two male humpback whales having sex, which experts say is the first time the species has been documented engaging in sexual activity of any kind.
The two photographers, Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano captured the encounter in waters west of the Hawaiian island of Maui in January 2022
Humpback whales’ social behavior has been studied and documented for several decades. However, in a study published this week in the journal Marine Mammal Science, the authors claimed to have captured the first photographs of this species having sex.
The three authors of the report are marine biologist Stephanie Stack and the two photographers who captured the encounter, Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano, in waters west of the Hawaiian island of Maui in January 2022.
“We realized pretty quickly that there was a scientific significance to it,” Krannichfeld, 44, said. “Even if there were no articles published or nothing ever came of it, we knew that it was important to the scientific community and those who were studying the whales just because of their unique behavior.”
The encounter took place between one male whale who appeared to be ill and another male whale who was strong and healthy
According to the report, the encounter took place between one male whale who appeared to be ill or injured and another male whale who was strong and healthy. According to the report, the whale that underwent penetration was visibly emaciated and covered in whale lice, which can proliferate on humpback whales that have lost mobility.
The authors speculated that the emaciated whale approached the photographer’s friend’s boat to hide from the other whale. Krannichfeld emphasized that he and his friends did not approach the whales by boat or swim with them after they approached, both of which are illegal.
After circling the boat and attempting to swim away from the healthier whale, the emaciated whale died, according to the report. The healthier whale then used its pectoral fins to hold the other whale in place before penetrating it.
The humpback whales were observed for about 30 minutes about 15 feet beneath the surface
According to the authors, the whales were observed for about 30 minutes, and the encounter occurred about 15 feet beneath the surface. They added that it is unclear whether two healthy male humpback whales will exhibit same-sex behavior.
When the photographers got home and looked at the photos, Krannichfeld said they knew they had captured “a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.”
“The whales are a big part of our lives here in Maui,” he said. “Everybody that’s involved with them and who photographs them kind of realizes that that’s never been captured. Mating and birth are the two main things that are still kind of unknown.”
Shortly after, Krannichfeld and Romano showed the photographs to Stack, who identified both whales as male.
Krannichfeld, who owns a photography gallery on Maui, described sharing the photographs with the scientific community as “an honor.”
“I’m constantly taking photos of the whales and essentially making a product off of them,” Krannichfeld said. “So it’s nice to be able to feel like I’m giving something back to the whales, help people understand them better.”
Same-sex behavior is widespread in the animal kingdom and has been extensively documented in other species. The study stated that it has previously been observed in a variety of marine mammals, including walruses, Amazon river dolphins, and gray seals.
Perhaps no other species has received as much attention for its same-sex behavior as penguins. Gay penguin couples in zoos in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States have become well-known in recent years for caring for eggs and raising baby penguins.