Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 16 h ago, last 5 min ago, peak #2

Humpback whale seen mourning stillborn calf off Queensland

Original: 🐋 NEW: In July 2025, a rescue boat captain near # Queensland spotted two # humpback # whales and the body of a stillborn

In July 2025, a rescue boat captain near Queensland spotted two humpback whales and the body of a stillborn calf on the seafloor. Footage shows the female diving repeatedly toward the calf, resting a pectoral fin on it, behaviour researchers describe as grieving. The sighting has drawn widespread attention to evidence of mourning-like behaviour in whales.

Why now: Rare footage of what looks like grieving behaviour in a humpback whale is moving people and raising scientific interest.

humpback whalesQueenslandrescue boat captainmarine researchers

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Evidence

• 🐋 NEW: In July 2025, a rescue boat captain near # Queensland spotted two # humpback # whales and the body of a stillborn calf on the seafloor. # Video captured the female diving repeatedly to make eye contact and rest a pectoral fin on the calf. Researchers describe the… · tksst@fediscience.org · 14

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