Rarely documented behavior: dolphins try to keep dead group members at the surface.

In the Leschenault estuary in Western Australia, a female dolphin named 'Fraggle' was observed carrying her dead calf on her back to keep it at the surface for six days. The calf, born two weeks premature, suffered from respiratory issues, while her group of fourteen dolphins swam nearby, providing a silent escort.

The Geographe Marine Research LTD organization commented on social media about the difficulties faced by Fraggle, who had already lost four other calves. Marine biologists have documented epimeletic behaviors in cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales, that remain alongside deceased group members, trying to keep them at the surface.

A 2018 review showed that dolphins most frequently exhibit this behavior, especially females. Researchers suggest that these acts reflect attempts at rescue and a difficulty in accepting loss, without using the term 'grief' in a human sense.