Stephanie Stack News Today

Despite decades of observations, data and research, marine animal scientists have rarely gotten a glimpse of humpback whales in the actual act of mating.

Photographers off the coast of Hawaii have taken footage of the first documented humpback whale sexual encounter according to a new report.

What they stumbled upon was an unprecedented observation that was previously unknown to the scientific community, according to the PWF. The groundbreaking photographs provide an unparalleled glimpse into the private lives of these majestic marine mammals.

The "once-in-a-lifetime encounter" took place as two photographers were out in waters near Maui, Hawaii - and a marine biologist soon noticed something unexpected about the snaps.

The whales were not previously known to engage in same-sex copulation.

The whales were not previously known to engage in same-sex copulation.

Photographers have, for the first time, recorded two humpback whales in Maui engaging in gay sex. It's the first time this has been spotted.

A physical encounter between two humpback whales has been immortalized on film for the first time.

The sexual behaviour of humpback whales has remained mostly a mystery, even for experts, but a moment spotted by boat-goers highlights what happens.

A pair of humpback whales were observed having sex for the first time ever by scientists – and both of them were male.