In a rare observation off Australia’s Gold Coast last July, researchers documented a humpback whale mother remaining close to her stillborn calf, offering new insight into whale behavior surrounding death. Filmed underwater about one kilometre from shore, the motionless newborn lay on the seafloor while the mother repeatedly touched it with her head and pectoral fin over the course of more than an hour.

This encounter is believed to be the first scientifically described instance of a humpback whale mother attending to her deceased newborn calf. The research sheds light on the largely unknown ways in which baleen whales, including humpbacks, respond to death, adding to knowledge previously focused primarily on toothed whales such as dolphins, killer whales, and pilot whales.

Humpbacks are noted for their complex social behaviors and active defense of calves against predators such as killer whales. Researchers have observed them circling injured whales and attempting to assist entangled individuals. These forms of care, termed epimeletic behavior, are well-documented among cetaceans, where animals sometimes risk their own safety for conspecifics in distress.

Instances of cetacean mothers carrying or staying near their deceased offspring have been recorded in species like killer whales. One notable example occurred in 2018, when the orca Tahlequah carried her dead calf for 17 days, travelling over 1,500 kilometres. Similar behaviors have appeared in pilot whales and dolphins, with prolonged attention believed to reflect strong maternal bonds and possibly hormonal influences following birth.

Until now, such behaviors were rarely observed in baleen whales, in part because stillborn calves tend to sink swiftly, making extended observation difficult. Humpback pregnancies last nearly a year, and calves depend entirely on maternal care during their first months, relying on their mothers for nourishment, protection, and guidance through migration.

In the recorded incident, researchers noted that while the mother repeatedly made contact with the calf, she did not attempt to lift it to the surface, which may indicate recognition of the calf’s death or an inability to move it. A second adult whale, likely an escort, remained nearby throughout the observation period. Reports from the public indicated that two adult humpbacks stayed in the area for up to two days after the initial encounter, though researchers could not confirm their identities.

The study’s authors caution against assuming human-like grief, noting that the observed behaviors might instead reflect maternal attachment, confusion, or instinctive caregiving responses. For this reason, they prefer terms such as “postmortem attentive behavior” over attributing specific emotional states to the whales.

Nevertheless, the observation highlights that humpback whales form intense maternal bonds even after offspring death, suggesting a complexity in their emotional lives that warrants further study. As whale populations recover and improved technology facilitates marine observation, similar events may become more frequently documented, providing a deeper understanding of cetacean social and emotional dynamics.