Heart-warming footage of a whale playing with her young calf has become an internet sensation after it was shot by a remote control drone off the coast of Argentina.

The touching film shows the southern right whales diving together in a bay in the Argentine Sea, a haven for the endangered marine mammals.

In the clip, the calf can be seen criss-crossing under its mother while she apparently wonders where it has gone.

Observer Ordono Abreu, 45, said: 'It looks like the calf is playing tricks on the mother, who keeps turning around looking for the youngster. It's a real privilege to watch such beautiful animals.'

The film was shot by the Association of Modellers from nearby Puerto Madryn as part of a project called Flying With Whales.

Spokesman Parmenio Moreno said: 'We have some of the most wonderful sights in nature right here on our doorstep and drones are now so stable and accurate they are the perfect way to study the whales in their natural environment.'

Heart-warming moment: Mother and baby are side by side in this intimate scene that was captured on camera

The mother whale swims off the coast of Argentina with her young calf, who is at the forefront of the photo

This aerial picture shows the calf in the bottom left corner as its mother swims in the centre

The footage has become an internet sensation.

Moreno added: 'Our aim is to build up a permanent video library of these whales in the wild.'

The Eldoradillo Bay is one of the world's most important breeding grounds for southern right whales, which are endangered in the wild because of a high mortality rate in their calves.

The whale and calf stay close to each other as they move around the ocean

The calf is just visible to the right of the whale as it criss-crosses beneath her in the water

The whale and calf swim together during the fascinating video, which was filmed by a drone