Mother Dolphin Carries Her Dead Calf, Unable to Let Go

On the 24th (local time), the British daily Daily Mail reported that a mother dolphin had been seen carrying and mourning her calf, which died shortly after birth, unable to let it go—a heartbreaking sight.

A dolphin named Cracker lives in a protected area off Bunbury, in front of the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Western Australia, where she was seen on the 17th. Cracker, who lives in the waters off the protected area, has given birth to a total of four calves this year. After giving birth, Cracker was carrying her calf on her snout. On closer inspection, the calf had died shortly after birth and was hanging limp, its white belly exposed. Each time the waves washed the calf from her snout into the sea, the mother repeatedly lifted it back up. Her grief and inability to let go of her dead calf were unmistakable.

Centre manager Jan Tierney said, “The mother dolphin, Cricker, lives in this protected area and has given birth four times. Her third calf became entangled in discarded fishing line and died when it was one year old.” Tierney added, “The calf born this year passed away shortly after entering the world.”

Bottlenose dolphins are reportedly sometimes known to carry a dead calf on their snouts for several days as they grieve. People were urged not to approach if they encounter such a dolphin at sea, allowing it time to grieve alone.

When people approached, the mother dolphin Cracker would hide her dead calf underwater to protect it, then lift it back up again once she reached a place she considered safe. After spending several days grieving in this way, she has reportedly now returned to her pod.

The bottlenose dolphin, also called the Pacific dolphin, is known as the largest dolphin species. It is the best-known dolphin and is widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It lives in small groups in waters near land, mainly eats fish and squid, and has a lifespan of 25–30 years. Its gentle nature and high intelligence also allow it to perform various tricks when trained.