A female dolphin carrying a dead calf has been spotted swimming in Whangarei Harbour. She’s known as Potato but we don’t know if the dead calf is really her baby. Photos of the female dolphin & the dead calf was taken on Thursday.
"The dead baby was very decomposed, most bones gone, blubber floating at the surface when she stopped carrying it, for moments only. She was carrying it on her dorsal fin, across her pectoral fins and across her tail flukes," Dr Ingrid Visser said.
"There is concern for her in terms of the decomposition of the carcass - having it near her eyes, mouth and blowhole when it is full of bacteria is not a good option."
The bond between female dolphins and their calves is known to be very strong. Potato is a well known dolphin in the area. Although it’s not that common for a female dolphin to carry her dead calf like this but it’s a part of their grieving process.
