A male humpback whale looking to mate is called a singer. When a group of singers threatens this mother and her calf, she will do whatever it takes to protect her calf.
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TRANSCRIPT
- [Narrator] Aware of the danger, the mother guides her calf away.
But it's already too late.
The singer circles the pair.
All the calf can do is stay close to his mother, but even this won't keep him from harm.
The male wants to mate and that's where the danger lies.
She slaps him away and keeps herself between him and her calf.
He wouldn't knowingly harm her baby, but courtship can be a rough affair.
As things escalate, the calf stays even closer.
It's about to get worse.
Other males are arriving.
They heard the singer's song, now they've heard the commotion.
The calf is in grave danger and there's little his mother can do.
As the whales circle, there's no escape.
But the newcomers are now the singer's rivals.
His warning?
A bubble blast.
But they aren't scared off easily.
A second warning from the singer.
A dangerous moment.
Things could spiral out of control.
The mother pushes her calf to the surface, protecting him as best she can.
The singer issues his third and final warning.
He's bigger than any of them and ready to fight.
The threat's enough to drive the males away.
The calf is now safe to swim on his own.
