There are few things sadder than a parent having to lay their child to rest. Our children are supposed to outlive us. When they do not, the grief can be very difficult to overcome. Animals experience the same level of sadness. This story takes place at the Intracoastal Waterway. A man named Michael was canoeing by St. Petersburg, Florida when he spotted something eye catching.

The silver flash that he caught a glimpse of happened to be a dolphin. When he saw the dolphin, he came to a very sad realization. The poor animal was cradling the body of their own deceased child. Initially, Michael did not realize the gravity of what he was witnessing. He thought that the dolphin had merely captured some dinner for the evening.

Once he looked closer, his heart broke. While it may have taken a minute for the scene to register, he eventually decided to record the impromptu funeral. The mother dolphin was nuzzling her dead calf and performing a grief stricken dance ritual. As anyone knows, these are some of the most intelligent and thoughtful creatures known to man. It is not surprising to see them grieve.

This mother was not alone during her hour of need, either. She was accompanied by a dolphin pal who wanted to make sure that their friend was not left to her own devices. Other dolphins also joined the funeral procession, according to Michael. We are glad that he was willing to take this video. It lets us know that we are not the only ones who grieve like this.

Michael believes that the dead calf was actually struck by a wayward motorboat. This clip serves as a valuable reminder for all of the boaters out there. Be careful when you are out on the water. You simply never know when disaster can strike. That’s why it is important to be as proactive as possible. All it takes is a few moments to save a life.

This man did not capture video in hopes of going viral. He wants to spread awareness about all this common issue. Unfortunately, some people remain hardheaded until they are confronted with the consequences of their actions. Many boaters allow themselves to believe that dolphins are too quick to be struck but nothing could be further from the truth. Please take a moment to share this story to raise awareness about all of the dolphin babies out there.

Mother #dolphin not ready to let go of her dead calf and pushing it through the intracoastal waterway.
It's hard to say for sure without examination, but the calf may have been hit by a boat. Please don't assume that because #dolphins are fast that you won't hit them. #sad pic.twitter.com/Le2MAwvPIB

— See Through Canoe (@SeeThroughCanoe) June 3, 2019