A group of undersea explorers recorded a rare interaction of a sperm whale while it approached their ROV 2,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

The incredible footage was filmed on April 14 by the Nautilus Live expedition, which is exploring the Gulf of Mexico's seafloor methane seeps. The whale suddenly appeared while scientists were watching methane bubbles and sampling seawater with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) called Hercules.

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Undersea encounters between sperm whales and ROVs are rare, yet the site at which Hercules encountered the cetacean is relatively shallow for the species, which is known to dive deep in search of prey. What makes the encounter a unique one is the research team was broadcasting live when the whale approached.

The researchers laughed with delight as the curious sperm whale gracefully maneuvered around Hercules, never once bumping the 11 foot-long (3.3 meters) ROV or rubbing its cables. The whale circled Hercules for several minutes.

"It was such an amazing moment. There was a lot of cheering on the ship," said Susan Poulton, an expedition spokeswoman who is onboard the E/V Nautilus ship with the scientists.

The team has no idea what attracted the sperm whale's interest. It could have been Hercules' glowing lights in the dark sea, acoustic pulses from a sonar instrument monitoring the bubbles or simply a chance encounter.

. Sperm whales have snooped on ROVs before. In another underwater video posted on YouTube, a massive sperm whale checks out a remotely operated robot.

The whales are also notorious fish-nabbers known for stealing from long-line fishing lines in Alaska. Humpback whales, gray whales and blue whales also approach boats and kayakers regularly.

Poulton said this was the first time anyone aboard the Nautilus had spotted a whale with the ROV. The ship has explored the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico since 2010.

Nautilus Live will live stream the broadcast of the Gulf of Mexico expedition for the next six months. You can watch the online broadcast at NautilusLive.org.

TagsUndersea Explorers Capture Rare Sperm Whale Encounter, Nautilus Live, ROV Hercules, sperm whale, Nautilus Live expedition, sperm whale approached ROV Hercules, undersea exploration, whales, Gulf of Mexico