Drones get a bad rap, and rightfully so when they’re used for spying, killing, and war. But, being able to film from an unmanned aircraft does have its advantages when it comes to observing the natural world around us. Similar to the remote control car that filmed the lions of Botswana, a captain of a whale watching vessel decided to get a different perspective on the whales.

The video below is the result of Captain Frank Brennan, who used a Quad Copter to capture footage of whales from above and all from the seat of his whale watching boat. He calls it the “Dana Wharf Copter Cam,” named after Dana Point Whale Watch and the location of the fly over off Dana Point, Calif. His video captures a fly-over perspective of a beautiful Fin Whale as it swims just below the surface.

This approach gives us a front row seat while giving the animal all the space it needs to continue living out its life. The use of technology to observe these beautiful animals is one more way to enjoy wild animals without the walls of captivity.

The only potential risk of using drones to watch whales is the possibility of a drone crashing into one of the creatures. Additionally, the drone emits a buzzing sound that could affect the whale’s sensitive hearing.  atch the video and let us know if you think this trend should catch on!