Whale experts in Hawai‘i were astounded when they came across a whale placenta floating in the ocean and were able to pull it out of the water to study. 

The team from Pacific Whale Foundation were out on their boat when they saw something strange at the surface. At first, they thought it was debris but when they inched closer, they realised that they had stumbled up on something remarkable. 

The mysterious mass floating in the water was a whale placenta. Coming across a specimen like this is incredibly rare. “This tissue typically sinks quickly after being released from the mother,” says Jens Currie, Pacific Whale Foundation’s chief scientist. 

Although the birth must have been very recent, there was no sign of mother or calf nearby. “It is thought that mothers and calves move away rapidly after birth, likely to avoid any predators that may be attracted by the afterbirth,” says Currie. 

The crew quickly collected the placenta, which included a “large portion of the umbilical cord” and brought it onboard their boat (under permits #27099 and MMHSRP #24359) to take it back to the lab for scientists to study.

“The placenta weighed approximately 300 pounds [136 kg], making it one of the very few occasions in which a fully intact whale placenta has been measured and weighed,” he says.

The opportunity to study a specimen like this doesn’t come around often so the researchers are excited for the rare opportunity to process the sample and collect important data. “Whale placentas represent an extraordinary biological archive, offering rare insight into maternal health and the conditions experienced by a developing calf,” says Currie. 

“This rare opportunity allows scientists to explore whale placental tissue in unprecedented detail, improving our understanding of reproduction and foetal development, and offering insight into environmental stressors that may affect whale populations later in life,” he adds.

The team is working alongside scientists from University of Hawaii’s Health and Strandings Lab and Griffith University to study the placenta. The experts were careful to take only what they needed.

“Approximately one percent of the tissue was carefully subsampled,” says Currie. “The majority of the placenta has been retained intact and will ultimately be returned to the ocean, following both cultural and scientific protocols.”

Their analysis includes taking measurements, photos and samples to see if the tissue contains contaminants, such as microplastics, mercury and ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS). 

“Placental tissue offers a unique opportunity to better understand how these substances are distributed within the body and the extent to which developing calves may be exposed to contaminants before birth,” says Currie. 

This finding isn’t just important for scientists. Taking a sample like this is a “sacred moment” in Hawaiian culture, so the team is careful to disturb the remains as little as possible. “We have a cultural advisor on staff and also work with a broader group of Indigenous cultural practitioners, Kiaʻi Kanaloa, who provide guidance and oversight,” explains Currie. “Any work involving bio-cultural materials is approached with care, restraint and respect.” 

In line with Hawaiian culture, the whale’s i’o (flesh) will be respectfully returned to the sea at the spot it was found, says Currie: “Kiaʻi Kanaloa has provided the cultural protocol for returning the placenta to the sea, including the development of a ceremony for us to carry out that includes [the ceremonial prayers] Pule Mihi [and] Pule ʻAwa, and [the traditional practice of offering gratitude called] hoʻokupu.” 

Top image: Hawai’i. Credit: Getty

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