Humpback mother lingered beside stillborn calf off Australia's Gold Coast
Researchers recorded a humpback whale staying close to its dead calf for hours, possibly days, suggesting grief-like behavior.
In 2025, a female humpback whale was sighted near the southern Gold Coast accompanied by an escort whale after giving birth to a calf that appeared lifeless. The mother lingered beside the calf for several hours and may have stayed for days, keeping eye contact and positioning herself next to the newborn. Researchers from Griffith University and the Sea World Foundation recorded the encounter, with Captain Andrew Mulville witnessing the unusual interaction.
Dr. Olaf Meynecke highlighted that such sustained post-mortem care is uncommon in baleen whales, differing from the lifting behavior seen in odontocetes. The case adds to the scant documentation of death-related responses in large whales and may shed light on their emotional and cognitive capacities. The study, titled “First documentation of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) post-mortem attendance of a stillborn,” appeared in Discover Animals.
Why it matters
The observation offers rare insight into possible grief and emotional complexity in large whales.
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