Even three decades of research couldn't explain this intimate encounter between a biologist and a whale. Do you think this humpback whale's actions were motivated by altruism?
Whales are very intelligent creatures but I wouldn't put it past this one that like dolphins she was curious and wanted to play. It could also have something to do with not being able to dive deep into ocean I noticed the depth is shallow for this humpback, with no where to dive why not play with the humans try them out.
Here in Hawai'i I personally experienced a Humpback come right up next to the hull of a boat I was in and she lifted her newborn baby completely out of the water to show us her new pride and joy. She hung around the boat for around 30 minutes before we had to leave. She and her baby followed us for 15 minutes before dropping back for her baby. Amazing animals. At another time while I was freediving along north shore of Maui spearfishing a whole pod of over a hundred Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins totally surrounded me even placing their babies in the center mass with me. Wasn't sure what was happening at first but later discovered they were protecting me from the resident Tiger Shark that prowls this section of coastline. They stayed with me for about 20 minutes then they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. I love all cetaceans.
Yes. Right. She was "showing off her baby." Do you have ANY evidence for that?? Nope. But it's what you want it to be. Maybe she was offering it to you to adopt! Maybe a whale sacrifice? The possibilities are endless.
Had tears in my eyes when the whale made a noise after she was back in the boat and she said "I love you too." The intelligent and benevolent nature of these creatures is incredible. We can't let them go extinct because of our actions. We have to help keep these gentle giants alive... They deserve at least that much.
He didn't forget it either...they met again and both recognized each other and (kind of) cuddled. There is another video of her where she tells the whole story. Just beautiful.
@@lisaceccherini838 the only problem is that humpback whales don't see sharks as dangerous because sharks don't mess with humpback whales while they're alive. Cool video but it definitely isn't altruism
If it wanted to hurt her, it would have. And if there was a shark in the area, I don't understand why people still cling to the idea that only humans are capable of behaving altruistically.
@Ryan Tandy I think it wasn't just because of that, I believe it was more like it hurts our ego if animal showing its intelligence. Animal with little intelligence fascinates us, animal with a lot of intelligence shocks us, and if an animal having the same or more intelligence than us?. Many will be very and very upset and feels threatened.
@@lagubrok92 Interesting claim. Humans are known to assert dominance through their minds rather than their physical superiority. That's not to say we don't show dominance in that manner, but we definitely cherish our minds and intelligence more. To see something that is supposed to be "lesser" being just as intelligent would hurt a human's natural ego and therefore make them threatened.
@@Nicho_Cheesy Except while these creatures are intelligent human intelligence is still a unique brand because a lot of human intelligence comes from being an omnivore bipedal predator with two arms with thumbs who evolved from herbivores and hunts prey with a body that isn't well suited for the task in of itself leading to the necessitated use of tools and strive for innovation. Harnessing fire also drove human intelligence a lot going forward. Not every intelligent animal is intelligent in the same way, you won't see whales or dolphins developing complex technology, science, or mathematics because they don't have the physical means or environmental drivers to. Chimpanzees and gorillas are still the closest animals to humans, even with all things whale and dolphin considered. And I would argue crows are closer to us than whales/dolphins since crows have shown tool use and problem solving skills along with their social nature. Whales and dolphins are socially and emotionally intelligent creatures but those are only two parts of the full equation we would use to define an advanced species.
Whether it was trying to save her life or not it was definitely an amazing experience and a shocker that a whale would be so gentle towards a human much less approach one willingly.
A friend of someone on the boat who works with Nan said she exaggerated and lied about the shark …that whale is well known there to be very interactive. I was so sad and hurt even to have believed so much in her
"I love you, too." That was the most wholesome response ever, and it is exactly what I would have said. Although, I might have been too busy crying tears of joy to form a coherent sentence.
Hey you never know. 🤷♂️ Even among whales, Humpbacks are exceptionally intelligent. There’s footage out there of humpbacks showing up to defend a gray whale mother & calf from a pod of orcas.
Its not just humpbacks these animals are far more intelligent than people give them credit for, i mean ffs as if we can really judge the intelligence of a creature that doesn’t speak the same language
But orcas are so gentle. Just the other day, one brought her calf alongside the boat. I think she was trying to tell me a complicated algebraic equation.
All I wanted to do was cry and cry and cry...that TRULY MELTED MY HEART!!! THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT CAUGHT ON VIDEO! TRULY AWESOME! HUMPBACK WHALES ARE VERY KIND AND GREAT ANIMAL'S 💖💖💖
You get what you deserve in this life 3 decades of studying the whales, no doubt for the purpose of helping them, she deserved this experience & protection & the whale knew it :)
Whales (and dolphins) feel and behave like family. They are simply majestic, and curious, gentle and intelligent. I would love to know how to better communicate with them. Thank you for this remarkable video it made my day.
Just call in their souls with respect, speak to them, and listen for their answer. I once sent love to a whale without expectation. I received a huge wave of love back as I was standing on a high hillside overlooking the water. I'll never forget that experience.
Nathaniel Hill Please tell me you're kidding right? If not.... Been around a couple millennia longer than humans. Have shown to have highly structured intelligence and social structures not only within there own groups but with other species they share the oceans with. Can speak without words but with sonar and sounds that is far more advanced and diverse than any human language. Just to name a few things as to why they are more advanced than us.
While most cetaceans have complex intelligence, and live a socially complex and highly communicative lifestyle, the debate on who is more highly evolved and intelligent rages on in science. Interestingly some whales have spindle cells in their brain, that are responsible, In humans and great apes, for processing emotions and helping us interact socially...but you still must be careful about anthropomorphic interpretation of intelligence in whales
Hey mr. smart Jake. We don’t communicate by humming because our brains and mouths can form these things called words. I’m not saying they haven’t evolved but their intelligence levels are nowhere near that of a humans. I mean maybe yours but definitely not someone like me who understands that human beings are at the top of the food chain with very minimal evolution... which then in turn makes us the most evolved species. Now I’m sorry to burst your whale loving bubble.
That's put a tear in my eyes ... After keeping animals for over twenty years I know that people don't normally understand anything about animals ....it's time this changed !!!
Frankly, I may dislike, but respect their niche on the planet. Overall, I'm forced to love life on this planet, save on occasion, one species. It insists on calling itself a thinking species, but acts unbelievably unthinking far too frequently.
I’ve seen something similar to this before. I was watching a similar documentary where a pod of killer whales was attacking a gray whale and it’s calf so a couple of humpback whales nearby in the area tried to intervene with the orcas (chasing them away from their meal, tail splashing, etc), sadly the orcas still got the calf but it is fascinating to see creatures interact with other creatures just like we humans would act to other people.
@@NatGeo would love to. Known to tread water all afternoon as recreation, only ran into sand sharks, who alerted me I had drifted into a current carrying me offshore. That, right after a woman who couldn't swim, but was swept out briefly, was towed to shore by a sand shark.
