Western Australian dolphin carries dead calf for unprecedented 11 days

Drone footage obtained by Geographe Marine Research shows a dolphin, identified as Fraggle, escorting its dead two-week-old calf through an estuary at the southern end of Western Australia for 11 consecutive days. The organization’s staff, Rodney Peterson and head researcher Capri Jolliffe, explained that while dolphins often display epimeletic care for deceased offspring, the usual holding period ranges from three to seven days.

Fraggle, which has lost four calves over seven years, exhibited an unusually extended mourning period, possibly influenced by its prior grief experiences or slower decay of the carcass. The surrounding pod remained close, monitoring the grieving mother, who ceased feeding during the interval. After the calf’s remains vanished, Fraggle rejoined the group and appeared “happy” the following day. Scientists hope the observation will contribute to documentation of dolphin emotional lives, which remain incompletely understood.