Life

Humpback whales caught having gay sex on camera make history

By Alice Morey

29th February 2024

Photograph: Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano, Marine Mammal Science

In a historic moment, two male humpback whales have been observed having sex for the first time.

The scene was captured off the coast of Hawaii in January 2022 and has been verified in a new scientific study by the Marine Mammal Science journal.

The research reported that copulations have never previously been documented and sightings of an unsheathed penis are rare.

This is due to a penis ordinarily being “concealed inside the animal’s genital slit”. This has been presumed to allow the mammal to be more hydrodynamic in the water.

In a male cetacean, such as a humpback whale, a penis can be inserted into the genital slit or anus of another male.

Gay behaviour is not unusual amongst aquatic mammals, with dolphins and orca whales previously spotted having same-sex activity.

The photographers, Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano, captured the activity between two whales 2km off the west coast of the Molokini crater off the island of Maui.

According to the research, “Whale B repeatedly approached from the rear of Whale A and penetrated the second whale, appearing to hold Whale A in place with its pectoral fins.”

Penetrations were judged “to be a few centimetres in depth” and each penetration lasted “two minutes in duration”.

Holding another whale with its pectoral fin to aid copulation has been described in historical research as a “strong impression that the humpback whale was engaging in courtship behaviour.”

Whale A was seen to be “visibly emaciated and covered in whale lice,” a symptom that is common on whales that are “injured or have reduced mobility”. Whale B was reported as being healthy.

The study has flagged the importance of the contrast between a healthy whale penetrating an ailing one and the “need for further research to explore the motivations”.

The only other recorded incident was in 1998 when a male humpback whale was “extruding its penis adjacent” to the floating body of a deceased humpback whale.

This historic moment garnered an uproarious response from social media – check out the best reactions from X (formerly Twitter below) below.