Seahorses are one of the most beloved underwater animals. They are so popular, in fact, that they can be found in just about every major aquarium around the world. And, if you’ve ever been to one of these aquariums, you know that their habitats are among the most popular with both kids and adults peaking in to see them swimming around.

One of the things that many people love about the seahorse is that it is the male who carries the young. Their reproduction cycle has a female that deposits her eggs into the male’s brood pouch. From there, the male fertilizes the eggs and keeps them safe for 24-30 days, at which point they will emerge. They come out looking like tiny seahorses (of course, that is what they are) and swim around, developing quickly.

While most people are aware of the fact that it is the male who carries the young in this unique species of animal, most people have never seen just how that works. Well, if that is something you are interested in, you are in luck.

Emily May is a diver who was out near Rye Pier in Australia when she saw two big-belly seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis). She recorded them and witnessed what looked like a passionate kiss, but was actually the process by which the female deposits her eggs into the male. She wrote on her Instagram:

“The female (on the right) positioned herself on top of the male’s brood pouch and transferred her eggs. This behavior is really unique, as seahorses are the only known animal who have a male pregnancy. It is also super rare to see, so I felt so privileged to witness it.”

To see it for yourself, check out this video:

These seahorses live around Australia and New Zealand, and the largest ones can grow to be around 18 centimeters (7 inches) in length.

As you might expect, the male has the more pronounced belly since that is where he keeps the baby seahorses while they develop.

Each brood of seahorses can be between 200 and over 1000, so this embrace caught on video may result in lots of baby seahorses to swim around in the ocean.

If you found that story interesting, learn more about why people often wake up around 3 AM and keep doing it for life.