A pair of male blue whales fight fiercely for a mate

Three blue whales are caught up in a battle for mating rights in the waters off the town of Port Macdonnell in southern Australia.

Two male whales chase and crash into each other in an attempt to compete to attract females. This rare behavior was recorded by members of the local Blue Whale Study research program during an aerial survey, Newsweek reported on April 4.

The female whale tries to escape the pursuit of two males. (Photo: Blue Whale Study).

During the survey, we saw three blue whales engaging in chasing behavior, in which an adult female was pursued at high speed by two potential mates. This was confirmed by researchers in Canada, Blue Whale Study said. Researchers have only observed such a phenomenon once before in the region, in 2003. In the Bonney Coastal upwelling region, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the ocean's surface during the summer months. , bringing in lots of plankton and attracting whales.

"The female whale frequently changed speed and direction while the two males tried their best to stay close to her, while also trying to displace each other. This was an epic display of strength. We glided circle around for about 15 minutes, then leave to let them continue the race ," the research team said.

The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever existed on Earth, able to reach a length of more than 30 m and weigh 200 tons. Their hearts alone weigh as much as a car. Blue whales are filter feeders, feeding mainly on krill and plankton. They will swallow huge gulps of water, then use baleen to filter the krill. This animal was heavily hunted throughout the 20th century, causing its population to decline significantly. Currently, they are on the list of endangered species in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Blue whales likely swim from feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean to breeding grounds off the coast of Indonesia, pairing up in preparation for mating season. Whales can move at great speeds during chases, and males are prone to crashing into each other while chasing females.