artificial insemination syringe
You might not have ever thought about what a humpback whale’s placenta looks like, but I certainly hadn’t until recently. Some fortunate visitors on a whale-watching tour with Oceanic Adventures in Australia got a rare glimpse of one up close. Can you imagine scanning the ocean for dorsal fins and suddenly spotting a colossal afterbirth?
The boat captain and passengers snapped numerous pictures because, let’s be honest, WHALE PLACENTA!
In a Facebook update from Jake Rivers of Oceanic Adventures about this incredible event, he mentioned, “Our captain, known as Captain Finn, has been on the water for twenty years and has never encountered this, and I’ve never seen it in my fifteen years of whale watching.”
While some may find it a bit off-putting—birth can be a messy affair—I find it utterly fascinating! These humpback whale mothers are out there in the ocean giving birth completely solo. No supportive whale partner holding their fin or dolphin doulas to help ease their pain. They are out there creating life like it’s no big deal. And then, after giving birth, they release a THREE-FOOT-WIDE placenta that floats to the surface like a grand announcement: “Hey world, I just brought a thousand-pound baby into the world! What did you do today?”
Whale moms definitely deserve a day at the spa.
To be honest, I’ve never really looked at any of my three placentas. I had c-sections, and I chose to donate the placentas to science before entering the operating room. I have no idea what “science” planned to do with them, but I wasn’t interested in keeping them. I’m not the type to make tree prints or encapsulate my placenta. Kudos to those earthy mamas who do, but it’s just not my style. I was content to let someone else utilize them for… well, something scientific.
Now, witnessing this whale placenta sighting makes me wish I had taken a peek! It’s so intriguing! I never considered that marine mammals have gigantic placentas when giving birth. I mean, I knew they existed, but I imagined that sharks would quickly consume them or that they would sink. Perhaps that’s what usually happens. I’m no expert. But I certainly never thought I could join a whale-watching tour and potentially see a whale placenta just chilling on the surface.
Now I can add “see a whale placenta in person” to my bucket list of unusual animal experiences I hope to have before I die, right alongside “see a moose crossing the road like my cousin did in 2010” and “spend a morning cuddling with tons of baby ducks.” (However, given the excitement marine biologists show when these things surface, it seems I might have better luck spotting the moose than the placenta.)
My fascination with whale mamas, in particular, started a few years back when a specific orca named Luna, also known as J35, carried her deceased calf around the waters of British Columbia for over two weeks as she mourned. I had recently experienced a heartbreaking missed miscarriage, which made me feel a profound connection to her. I understood that longing to hold on, even when all hope seemed lost. Perhaps mothers of all species share common threads.
Luna and I both welcomed living babies in 2020. I won’t lie; I shed some joyful tears when I learned that her baby survived. If you’re not familiar with her story, I highly recommend reading about it. Luna has experienced the ups and downs of motherhood—she’s had living babies, endured a miscarriage, grieved the loss of a newborn, and even cared for her sister’s calves after her sister passed away. Luna’s resilience truly fascinates me.
Now, along with my admiration for orcas, I have a newfound appreciation for amazing humpback mothers. The sheer size of a whale placenta really highlights the size of their offspring, although honestly, considering a humpback calf can measure 10-15 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds, it’s remarkable that the placenta doesn’t have to be even bigger. That’s one colossal baby!
Here’s to you, whale mamas! If I could, I’d give you a massive high five right on your magnificent fin.
If you’re interested in the science behind home insemination or want to explore more about this topic, check out this post and this authority on the subject. For excellent resources on pregnancy, visit the CDC.