This incredible aerial footage shows the mesmerizing beauty of a rare and elusive breed of whale. Staff at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, in California, USA, could not believe their luck when they stumbled across the pod of 24 Baird's beaked whales – two of which were just young calves. Gliding through the waters in perfect unison, Baird's beaked whales are the largest of all beaked whale species in the world's oceans. They usually dive to more than 3,300 feet and can hold their breath for an hour, so when drone pilot Jason Berring came across the creatures on the surface, on May 29, he was stunned. In Jason's crystal-clear aerial footage, the consistent diving patterns of the whales can be seen, as they usually dive for around 25 minutes before returning to the surface for around eight minutes at a time. These small timeframes in which to capture the whales on the surface made Monterey Bay Whale Watch's encounter even more special and rare. Baird's beaked whales average around 36 feet in length, and one of the adults even breached for the stunned viewers.