The Hug of a Humpback Whale Mother: Protective Behaviors of a Calf Toward Escorts in a Competitive Group at Abrolhos Bank, Brazil.

While protective behaviors of baleen whales toward calves have been documented during predator attacks, they have not been observed in response to approach attempts by other males of the same species. We recorded high-resolution aerial drone videos of four competing male of humpback-whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) harassing a lactating female with her post-neonate calf in a breeding ground in Brazil. We document several protective behaviors and highlight a new role for pectoral fins in maternal protection, a function not previously attributed to this anatomical structure. These results confirm the value of using drones to describe new cetacean behaviors, even in well-known species.