On April 15, 2015, researchers from E/V Nautilus sent a robot named Hercules down into the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. They were exploring the biology, geology, and archeology of the ocean, and when they reached a depth of 1,962 feet, they suddenly encountered something magnificent — a sperm whale.

It is incredibly rare to have a robot meet a sperm whale at these depths, but what they captured on film for a live audience is amazing.

The population of sperm whales on Earth used to be in the millions.

Today, perhaps less than a few thousand remain due to hunting in the 19th century. For those that are still with us, however, let’s hope more footage like this gets captured. Because after seeing it, how can you not want to do everything you can to help?