Rare Video of Wild Seahorses Mating

Underwater photographer Jules Casey witnessed a rare moment while diving, and she decided to share it with the world. Casey was diving in Port Phillip Bay off the coast of southern Australia when she witnessed an act that relatively few people will ever see in the wild: mating seahorses.

“This is the moment the female (on the right) passes her eggs to the male’s brooding pouch,” Casey wrote in her Instagram post sharing the video. “These two have been flirting with each other for weeks. So to actually [capture] this exact moment is incredibly rare & exciting.”

[RELATED: Sound on: Mating Lions Are ‘Not Your Average Wake-up Call’]

Casey says when she arrived to the dive site, she noticed the two seahorses acting differently.

“As I arrived [the seahorses] were more active than I’d seen them before. The male was inflating his belly to show the female he had plenty of room for her eggs. Then the magic happened,” she wrote. “They pointed their snouts upwards which indicates they are both ready to attempt the transfer of eggs. They rise together into the open water to complete the transfer. This only lasted about 30-40 seconds. They then go their separate ways. [. . . ] I was so excited to have witnessed this behaviour.”

See the mating seahorses here:

Underwater photographer Jules Casey witnessed a rare moment while diving, and she decided to share it with the world. Casey was diving in Port Phillip Bay off the coast of southern Australia when she witnessed an act that relatively few people will ever see in the wild: mating seahorses.

“This is the moment the female (on the right) passes her eggs to the male’s brooding pouch,” Casey wrote in her Instagram post sharing the video. “These two have been flirting with each other for weeks. So to actually [capture] this exact moment is incredibly rare & exciting.”

[RELATED: Sound on: Mating Lions Are ‘Not Your Average Wake-up Call’]

Casey says when she arrived to the dive site, she noticed the two seahorses acting differently.

“As I arrived [the seahorses] were more active than I’d seen them before. The male was inflating his belly to show the female he had plenty of room for her eggs. Then the magic happened,” she wrote. “They pointed their snouts upwards which indicates they are both ready to attempt the transfer of eggs. They rise together into the open water to complete the transfer. This only lasted about 30-40 seconds. They then go their separate ways. [. . . ] I was so excited to have witnessed this behaviour.”

See the mating seahorses here: