Researchers observed a humpback whale mother staying with what is believed to be her stillborn calf for hours, and possibly days, near the Gold Coast in Australia. The mother whale was seen maintaining close proximity to the calf, making eye contact, and displaying behavior that resembled caregiving. This unusual interaction has sparked interest among scientists, who suggest it may offer new insights into the emotional complexity and maternal attachment of humpback whales. The event was recorded by researchers from Griffith University and the Sea World Foundation, who believe it could indicate that humpback whales may experience a form of grief when a calf dies. The encounter took place in 2025 when a female humpback whale was seen off the southern Gold Coast with an escort whale after apparently giving birth to a deceased calf. The mother remained near the calf for several hours and may have stayed with it for days. Dr. Olaf Meynecke, from Griffith University's Whales and Climate Research Program, noted that attentive behavior toward dead individuals has mainly been observed in toothed whales and delphinids. Such behavior is much less common in baleen whales like humpbacks. "Unlike reports of toothed whales where mothers have been observed lifting their dead calves to the surface, this humpback whale mother showed prolonged post-mortem behavior and attention towards her deceased calf under the surface," Dr. Meynecke explained. "She remained close to the calf, maintaining eye contact and positioning herself next to her calf over several hours and maybe even days." Sea World Foundation Rescue Boat Captain Andrew Mulville witnessed the event firsthand and described it as surprising. "When I actually worked out what was happening, I was totally surprised," he said. "At first sight, I thought it was just two whales resting on the surface, but their behavior was unusual." The observation adds to the limited number of documented cases involving deceased calves in baleen whales. According to Dr. Meynecke, these rare and deeply sad encounters could help scientists better understand how large whales process death and what their behavior may reveal about cognition and emotion. The study, titled "First documentation of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) post-mortem attendance of a stillborn," has been published in Discover Animals. The research highlights the need for further study into the emotional lives of humpback whales and may contribute to broader understanding of animal behavior and emotional responses across species.