Airdate: Birthplace of the Giants

William McInnes narrates Birthplace of the Giants, a new documentary on humpback whales, as they travel from Antarctica to breeding grounds in the Kimberley.

Marine biologists Curt and Micheline Jenner detail never-before-seen footage of male whales’ violent battle for dominance and the victor’s courtship of a female.

Famous for their acrobatic leaps and moving songs, the elusive humpback whales are slowly revealing the mysteries of their lives.

For thousands of years, humpback whales have migrated to the remote ancient Kimberley coast of North West Australia to mate and have their young.

But this predictable migration gave them a close call with extinction – in 1963 the Western Australian population fell to between two and three hundred whales.

World-renowned marine biologists Curt and Micheline Jenner have spent 25 years studying humpback whales.

What began as a deep love for whales has become a mission to understand and protect these extraordinary creatures, contributing to one of the greatest recoveries of any animal population on the planet.

Their work was instrumental in having Camden Sound, the epicentre of the breeding grounds, designated as a whale sanctuary.

Now, Curt and Micheline are returning to the Kimberley for a new expedition armed with cutting-edge technology.

Using satellite tags they’ll attempt to follow and record the vital first hours of the life of a newborn whale calf.

Their quadcopter cameras will give them a unique perspective on the secret world of whale courtship and breeding.

Their new night vision cameras reveal a desperate battle in the darkness as a mother tries to protect her calf from marauding males.

8:30pm Sunday June 7 Nat Geo Wild