A video has emerged showing a female dolphin in Australia carrying her dead calf on her back for days, in a behavior that has reignited the debate about animal emotions.
Researchers from the non-profit "Geograph Marine Research" organization in the Lecchino estuary in Western Australia observed this extraordinary scene of a female dolphin named "Fragel" continuing to carry her dead calf for days on end, refusing to abandon it despite the cessation of signs of life in it.
The mother repeatedly pushed her young to the surface of the water as if she were still trying to help it breathe, in a behavior that brought back to the forefront the scientific debate about the interpretation of this phenomenon that has long puzzled marine biologists.
These cases are known in scientific circles as "postmortem caring behavior," a pattern in which the surviving individual continues to try to care for the deceased individual or stay by its side for varying periods. "Fragl" had previously lost young on previous occasions, but this time she remained attached to the body of her young one in a scene that the team observed during their field monitoring of the dolphin pod in the area.
This incident is not an isolated case in the world of cetaceans, as scientific studies have documented multiple cases among dolphins and whales in the Mediterranean Sea and other parts of the world, in which mothers or members of the herd continued to accompany or carry the deceased individual for hours and days after its death.
This behavior is rooted in the fact that young dolphins in their first weeks depend on their mothers to bring them to the surface of the water to breathe, which makes the mothers repeatedly push their dead young upwards as if they are still trying to save them.
Researchers believe this behavior may continue for days before the mother gradually abandons the body or it is swept away by ocean currents. The New Zealand Ministry of Conservation confirmed in February 2026 that this phenomenon is natural and documented in dolphins, noting that such cases may last for days and sometimes weeks, which opens the door to deeper questions about whether this behavior reflects a form of emotional attachment or simply an extension of the innate maternal care instinct.
