They're among the largest animals on the planet, but the day-to-day lives of pygmy blue whales have largely gone unseen, until now. New footage by researchers has captured the intimate lives of these whales off the coast of Timor Leste, all in the name of conservation and diplomacy.
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00:00The behemoths of the Banda Sea off Timor-Leste.
00:06These pygmy blue whales, seldom documented on video, captured alongside their calves.
00:13One of the largest creatures on earth and we still know very little about them because
00:18the numbers are low and also they're highly elusive so even the smallest amount of disturbance
00:24and they're gone.
00:26Capturing these creatures has been a team effort involving scientists from Australia
00:31with Timorese locals and tourism operators.
00:34What it's revealed is this corridor off the Banda Sea isn't just a foraging ground, footage
00:40revealing it's also a romantic hotspot.
00:44To see these amazing animals in courtship behaviour or to see mothers and calves nursing
00:52very closely together and you wouldn't see that in a boat.
00:59With pygmy blue whales an endangered species, the Timorese government wants to learn how
01:03to better protect the animals against the threats of climate change.
01:09Especially to help in saving our ocean, the planet and all these creatures that we have
01:19in Timor.
01:21The project is the start of a deep dive for whale research, economic opportunity and conservation
01:28between Australia and one of its closest neighbours, seeking more information about the elusive
01:33creatures of the deep.