Whale Floating on Its Back on the Water... The Reason

ZDNet Korea reports that the unusual sight of a whale floating on its back on the water, seemingly distressed, has been explained by research as a resting behavior of exhausted nursing mothers. According to Gizmodo and The Conversation, European researchers observed Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis) using drones and discovered that the behavior is linked to maternal fatigue from caring for calves. Published in the journal Mammalian Biology, the study found that this posture is not due to illness but rather a method for mothers to rest or feed their calves. Co-authors Kate Sprogis and others noted this behavior is rare among large whales. Analysis revealed the posture occurs exclusively in nursing mothers and pregnant females, with 25% of tracked mothers adopting this position during drone monitoring. As capital breeders, Southern Right Whales consume vast amounts of krill in the Antarctic before migrating to warmer breeding grounds. The energy demands of nursing calves and the mothers' declining nutritional state make restorative behaviors like floating on their backs critical for survival.