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'It is extremely rare to witness': Scientists record humpback whale mom grieving her stillborn calf in first-of-its-kind footage
Live Science • • world
Key Points:
- Researchers captured the first-ever video documenting a humpback whale mother grieving her stillborn calf off southeastern Australia in July 2025, as reported in the journal Discover Animals.
- The mother whale was seen hovering over the calf's motionless body on the seafloor, displaying behaviors interpreted as grieving, such as resting beside the calf and moving her pectoral fin over it for at least 90 minutes.
- Unlike toothed whales, humpback calves lack sufficient blubber to float, causing stillborn calves to sink immediately, which likely explains why such behavior had not been observed before.
- An escort whale, likely a female companion, accompanied the mother during and after the birth, supporting her as is common in humpback whale pregnancies and migrations.
- The observed grieving behavior suggests strong maternal attachment in humpback whales and offers rare insight into the complex emotional and social behaviors of baleen whales.
