Rare video shows possible grieving in humpback whales

In July last year, a rare underwater video captured a female humpback whale caring for its stillborn calf off Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.

The mother repeatedly approached the calf, touching it with her head and fin, then lay still beside the newborn's body. She and another "escort" whale remained with the calf for at least two hours.

Dr Olaf Meynecke, a marine scientist with Griffith University's Whales and Climate Research Program, described the actions as "post‑mortem attentive" behaviour – a form of grieving that has not been observed in humpback whales before.

The footage was recorded by rescue captain Andrew Mulville, who was asked to investigate after locals reported the whales acting strangely. He filmed the encounter with an underwater camera.

Grieving behaviour has been documented more often in toothed whales and dolphins. Dead humpback calves usually sink quickly, making such observations rare.

Scientists hope that more recordings – especially using drones – will help reveal how humpback whales respond to death and stress, expanding our understanding of baleen whale emotions.

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