Humpback Whale Mother Attends to Stillborn Calf in Rare Footage

Researchers have documented the first case of a humpback whale mother showing prolonged attention to her stillborn calf, a behavior that offers new insights into cetacean responses to death. The encounter, captured off Australia's Gold Coast in July 2025, is detailed in a study published in the journal Discover Animals in September 2026. In the footage, a female humpback whale was observed repeatedly returning to her deceased calf on the seafloor, touching it with her head and pectoral fin, and resting beside it for eye-to-eye contact. The behavior lasted for at least two hours, and researchers believe it may have continued longer. A second adult whale, likely an escort, remained nearby throughout the event. The stillborn calf sank shortly after birth because newborn humpbacks lack sufficient blubber to float, making such events extremely difficult to observe in the wild. This biological factor explains why this is the first scientifically documented case of postmortem attentive behavior in humpback whales. In contrast, toothed whales like killer whales have been seen carrying dead calves to the surface.