Orca observed repeatedly carrying deceased calf in recent years
Orcas observed carrying deceased calves, reinforcing documented cetacean mourning patterns.
Event / Science
Humpback Whale Grief Behavior Study
Researchers documented the first detailed footage of a humpback whale exhibiting apparent grief behavior toward a stillborn calf off southeastern Australia in July 2025. The study, published September 16, 2026 in Discover Animals, reveals complex maternal bonds and emotional responses in marine mammals.
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2026-09-17 to 2026-11-05 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 17 Sept, 01:03 UTC
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What happened
Orca observed carrying dead calf again in recent years
An orca that gained public attention in 2018 for carrying her dead calf for more than two weeks was spotted again in recent years carrying the body of her newborn just days after giving birth. This demonstrates similar grief-related behavior observed in marine mammals beyond humpback whales.
Stillborn humpback calf sinks to seafloor immediately after birth
Unlike toothed whales and porpoises, newborn humpback whales lack sufficient blubber to float, causing them to sink to the seafloor immediately after birth without adult assistance. This biological characteristic explains why stillbirths in humpback whales have been virtually undocumented in scientific literature until now, as the lifeless bodies are nearly impossible to spot from the water's surface.
Study on humpback whale grief published in Discover Animals
A study documenting humpback whale grief behavior was published on September 16, 2026 in the journal Discover Animals. The research was led by Olaf Meynecke, a marine ecologist at Griffith University in Australia, and co-authored by Andrew Mulville from Sea World Foundation. The study concluded that the mother whale's actions may represent grief-related behavior and provide insights into the complex emotions and strong maternal bonds of humpback whales.
Humpback whales documented swimming record-breaking 9,383-mile distance between breeding grounds
Researchers documented two humpback whales swimming a record-breaking distance between breeding grounds. One whale was observed off the coast of Bahia in Brazil and was sighted again 22 years later at a breeding ground in Hervey Bay, Australia, approximately 9,383 miles away. This finding was announced in May 2026.
Only about 20 humpback whale births documented in scientific literature
According to marine ecologist Olaf Meynecke, approximately 20 births of humpback whales have been observed and documented in scientific literature to date. None of these previously documented births involved a stillborn calf until the July 2025 observation off southeastern Australia.
Humpback whale birth recorded by drone for first time in Australia
A photographer in Australia captured video footage of a humpback whale giving birth using a drone approximately two months before the September 2026 publication of the grief study. This was believed to be the first time a humpback whale birth has been recorded by drone technology.
Researchers document humpback whale grieving stillborn calf in rare video footage
Researchers recorded video footage of a female humpback whale displaying apparent grief behavior toward her stillborn calf off the coast of southeastern Australia in July 2025. The footage shows the mother whale hovering above the calf's body on the seafloor, making eye contact, and touching it with her head and pectoral fin. The whale remained near the deceased calf for at least 90 minutes during observation, and possibly for several hours or days. This is the first detailed documented occurrence of this behavior in humpback whales.
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Researchers document humpback whale mourning behavior around stillborn calf
Scientists documented a humpback whale mourning her stillborn calf in rare video footage.