Humpback Mother’s Vigil Over Stillborn Calf Offers Rare Look at Cetacean Behavior
Researchers documented a humpback whale mother remaining near her dead newborn off Australia’s southern Gold Coast in 2025. The mother stayed close beneath the surface for hours, possibly days, while an escort whale was also present. The observation is unusual for baleen whales and raises questions about maternal attachment and responses to loss.
In 2025, off Australia’s southern Gold Coast, a humpback mother remained with her presumed stillborn calf while an escort whale was nearby. A rescue captain initially thought two whales were simply resting. Researchers from Griffith University and the SeaWorld Foundation observed the mother staying close beneath the surface, maintaining proximity and apparent eye contact for hours, possibly days.
Most documented cetacean cases of attending dead young involve toothed whales and dolphins. Comparable reports for baleen whales, including humpbacks, are much rarer. Here, the mother did not lift the calf to the surface as some toothed whales have been seen doing; she stayed close underwater. Such sightings add to limited evidence about large whales’ responses to death.
This rare observation could deepen public interest in whale cognition and maternal behavior, especially among marine scientists, conservation groups, and wildlife watchers. It may encourage more systematic documentation of neonatal deaths and post-mortem attendance, potentially improving how researchers interpret social bonds in baleen whales. For general audiences, the story may also prompt reflection on animal emotion and loss, though it cannot confirm grief or establish what the mother experienced.