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Humpback Whales: The Heroes of the Sea
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The Heroes of the Sea Humpback Whale Saves Scientist
the years to show how they benefit other species at their own cost. In 2009, Robert Pitman took a photo of a humpback cradling a seal while rolling out of the water. The whale had protected the seal from a group of killer whales. Pitman, a marine biologist, has analyzed 115 interactions with humpback whales and concluded that they will travel long distances in order to prevent killer whales from
Hauser told the Daily Mirror, “I’ve spent 28 years underwater with whales and have never had a whale so tactile and so insistent on putting me on his head, belly, or back, and most of all, trying to tuck me under his huge pectoral fin … I was sure that it was most likely going to be a deadly encounter.” Hauser didn’t know the whale wanted to protect her until she returned to her team’s research vessel. This is when she noticed the tiger shark creeping nearby. This isn’t the first time a humpback whale has intervened to help another creature. In fact, the
In the movie “Cast Away,” we see a whale notifying Chuck Noland of a nearby ship. The whale sprays himwith water to get his attention. Although this is a fictional story, what happened in “Cast Away” isn’t just movie magic. There are real-life stories about whales helping people in need. In 2018, a marine biologist, Nan Hauser, was swimming in the waters off the Cook Islands when she noticed a 50,000-pound humpback whale near her. For 10 minutes, Hauser swam around the whale while it nudged her with its head, bumped her with its belly, and swiped at her with its fins. At first, Hauser thought the whale was trying to attack her. But actually, it protected her from a 15-foot-long tiger shark on the other side of the whale.
attacking, regardless of what type of animal the killer whale is pursuing.
Whether this behavior is out of instinct, accident, or altruism, they have saved the lives of many aquatic animals and people. They are the heroes of the sea!
humpback’s altruism has been well- documented over
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