Humpback whale mother may have mourned her dead calf for days

Researchers observed a humpback whale mother staying beside her presumed stillborn calf for hours and possibly days off Australia’s Gold Coast. She maintained eye contact and remained close to the calf in behavior resembling caregiving and nurturing. Scientists say the rare observation may provide new insight into grief, maternal attachment, and emotional complexity in humpback whales.

Humpback whale mother may have mourned her dead calf for days. The encounter, documented by researchers from Griffith University and Sea World Foundation, raises the possibility that humpback whale mothers may experience grief when a calf dies. In 2025, a female humpback whale was observed off the southern Gold Coast with an escort whale after apparently giving birth to a deceased calf.

The mother stayed near the calf for several hours and may have remained with it for days. [See link to video below article.] Rare Death-Related Behavior in Humpback Whales Dr. Olaf Meynecke, from Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Research Program, said attentive behavior toward dead individuals has been recorded mainly in toothed whales and delphinids (known as odontocetes).