The Sex Life of the Blue Whale

The largest animal to ever inhabit this planet is the blue whale. Although you might assume that would make it easier to monitor, it is actually an extremely solitary and secluded animal—especially when compared to other whales. The social structure and relationships of blue whales are among the many things we still don't fully understand, but their mating and giving birth practices continue to be a complete mystery.

Don't misunderstand us; scientists are aware of the mechanics of blue whale anatomy, but they have no knowledge of the blue whales' mating habits or where they travel to breed and give birth. . The behavior of its near cousin, the humpback whale, who is far less reluctant to act for the camera, must be used as a guide as we have yet to film two blue whales mating.

A hot run is a behavior practiced by humpback whales in which one or more males pursue a female whale over great distances in an effort to mate with her. Some scientists in 2017 thought they had captured two blue whales doing the identical action on camera for the first time, but other specialists are still skeptical.