Rare Footage Captures Whale With Stillborn Calf
News Desk
Gold Coast, Australia: Rare footage has captured a female humpback whale repeatedly diving to the ocean floor and staying beside her dead calf in an unusual behaviour that has drawn the attention of marine researchers.
The encounter was recorded off southeastern Australia in July 2025 and detailed in a study published on September 16 in the scientific journal ‘Discover Animals’.
The footage shows the female whale repeatedly approaching the calf, touching it with her head and pectoral fin, and swimming alongside it before settling beside the newborn on the seafloor for about a minute at a time.
Another adult humpback whale remained in the area, with the two adults reportedly staying close to the dead calf for at least two hours.
The footage was recorded by a researcher identified as Andrew from a private boat after he spotted two adult humpback whales at the surface. One whale was observed in a vertical position, shortly before remnants of a fetal membrane were seen floating near the calf.
Olaf Meynecke, the study’s lead author and a marine ecologist at Australia’s Griffith University, said the observation offers a rare opportunity to study humpback whale reproduction and maternal behaviour.
Meynecke noted that scientific literature contains only about 20 documented observations of humpback whale births, with none previously recording a stillbirth.
Researchers say newborn humpback whales have limited body fat and may be unable to remain buoyant at the surface without assistance from an adult. As a result, a stillborn calf could quickly sink to the ocean floor, potentially explaining why such an event has rarely been witnessed.
During the encounter, the female repeatedly made short dives, swam beside the calf and remained with it on the seabed before returning to the surface. At times, she appeared to place her pectoral fin over the calf.
The rare observation provides researchers with an unusual glimpse into humpback whale behaviour and could contribute to a better understanding of maternal responses and social behaviour in the species.
