Key Takeaways
- A humpback whale exhibited grief-like behavior after giving birth to a stillborn calf.
- The mother repeatedly approached and touched the dead calf, a rare observation in baleen whales.
- Scientists are concerned about the high number of stillbirths among humpback whales in the region.
A humpback whale mother has been observed displaying behavior similar to grief after giving birth to a stillborn calf, a rare event in baleen whales. The incident was first noticed by Andrew Mulville, a researcher from the Sea World Foundation, at 8am on July 17, 2025, near the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Mulville observed two adult whales in the same location, vocalizing and rolling on the surface. By 8:30am, he noticed an amniotic membrane floating on the surface, indicating a recent birth. However, no blood or placenta was visible, suggesting the calf was stillborn.
Mulville then placed a camera underwater and recorded the stillborn calf, less than 4 meters long, lying on the sandy seabed. The mother repeatedly approached the calf, looked at it eye to eye, and touched it with her head and pectoral fin. This behavior is extremely rare in baleen whales, and Mulville documented the incident for a paper co-written with Olaf Meynecke from Griffith University.
Meynecke, who has studied whale behavior, noted that while it is important not to humanize the encounter, the dramatic change in the mother's behavior is similar to what is observed in other mammals, such as elephants, when they lose a member of their group or a calf.
Mulville observed the whales for the next two hours, staying in the immediate vicinity of the dead calf. On the following two days, members of the public reported seeing the two adult whales in the same location, suggesting they remained in the area.
The incident has raised concerns about the high number of stillbirths among humpback whales in the region. Seven deceased humpback whale neonates and one deceased young whale of unconfirmed age were also observed in the same area in July 2025, but none appeared to be the stillborn whale observed by the scientists.
Scientists are now investigating the reasons behind the high number of stillbirths, especially as humpback whale populations have been growing in southern Queensland. The exact cause of the stillbirths remains unknown, and researchers are calling for further investigation to understand the underlying factors.
This observation highlights the complex behaviors of whales and the need for continued research into their welfare and the health of their populations.
