News
SUMMARY
A rescue boat captain recorded 12 minutes of footage showing a humpback mother's unusual behavior after giving birth to a stillborn calf off Australia's Gold Coast. The mother repeatedly dove to the seafloor to lie beside and nudge the calf, holding eye contact for extended periods. This documentation is the first detailed scientific record of such behavior in humpback whales, a phenomenon previously observed more frequently in dolphins. The footage, captured on a handheld GoPro, was published in the journal Discover Animals and highlights the potential for citizen science to contribute to marine mammal research.
TAKEAWAYS
A humpback mother was filmed attending her stillborn calf off Australia's Gold Coast.
The footage, captured by a rescue boat captain on a GoPro, is the first detailed record of this behavior in humpbacks.
While whale mourning is known, this specific instance with a stillborn calf is unprecedented for the species.
The recording emphasizes the value of being prepared with cameras at sea for documenting rare natural events.