Researchers from Griffith University and Sea World Foundation documented an unusual encounter involving a humpback whale mother that remained near her dead calf, raising questions about how these marine mammals process loss and experience maternal attachment.
The observation occurred in 2025 when a female humpback whale was spotted off the southern Gold Coast with an escort whale shortly after apparently giving birth to a deceased calf. The mother remained in close proximity to the calf for several hours and may have stayed with it for multiple days. The behavior included maintaining eye contact and positioning herself next to the calf, actions consistent with caregiving and nurturing patterns documented in socially complex mammals.
Dr. Olaf Meynecke from Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Research Program noted that attentive behavior toward deceased individuals has been documented mainly in toothed whales and dolphins, but remains far less common in published research involving baleen whales such as humpbacks. He emphasized that the prolonged post-mortem attention observed in this case differed from previously documented behaviors in toothed whales, where mothers have been seen lifting dead calves to the surface.
Sea World Foundation Rescue Boat Captain Andrew Mulville, who witnessed the interaction firsthand, described being surprised by the unusual behavior. He initially thought the whales were simply resting at the surface before recognizing the distinctive nature of their conduct.
Researchers stress that careful documentation of such rare events is crucial for understanding whether the behaviors reflect maternal attachment, grief responses, or other forms of social and emotional expression. The findings have been published in Discover Animals under the title “First documentation of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) post-mortem attendance of a stillborn.” Scientists note that studying how non-human animals respond to death provides valuable insights into their emotional lives, social bonds, and cognitive capacities.
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