Research team captures rare white whale calf cuddling up to its mother

Drone footage shot by a research team off the coast of Western Australia captured a rare, white baby whale cuddling with its mother.

Marine scientists with Murdoch University were studying the breeding and calving behaviors of southern right whales when they happened across the rarely-seen white calf.

This baby whale is not albino, however. Up to 5 percent of right whales are born white, according to BBC, but turn black within a year.

Southern right whales measure between 45 and 55 feet in length and can weigh up to 60 tons. Calves measure around 13 to 15 feet at first and nurse for only one year. Females give birth only every three to four years.