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Tales from the Whale Side – Four

Posted September 5, 2017 in Learn More by Carl Safina

“They Saved My Dog.”

Page Four of some remarkable, inexplicable stories of killer whale behavior toward humans in the wild.

A small party of scientific people left shore to go whale-watching in a small boat. When they returned, their German shepherd, Phoenix, was not on the island. He’d apparently tried to follow them out into the big water and powerful tides of Johnstone Strait.

The people searched the Strait until 11 p.m. No dog. The dog’s owner was sitting on a log, crying, when he heard the blows of killer whales. He was suddenly horrified at the thought that they might have eaten his beloved dog. He could see the whales coming closer because the turbulence of their swimming caused the sea’s phosphorescent creatures to glow.

Just after the whales passed, he heard splashing. Suddenly, there stood his sodden dog, weakened and vomiting saltwater.

“I don’t care what people say,” he declared. “Those whales saved my dog.”

Not an isolated case. At a different research camp, a person went kayaking and when he returned, his dog, named Karma, was missing. Similarly, she’d probably tried to follow. The researcher was mourning the loss of his faithful companion late in the night when some whales passed. The dog appeared on the beach, soaked and trembling and near collapse.

“I was there,” said the person who related the story. “There’s no doubt in my mind; those whales had pushed Karma ashore.”

Next – Page Five: “She Pushed Her Wounded Calf to My Side of the Boat.”

All posts in this series are excerpted from Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel by Carl Safina.

 

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Photo of Carl Safina
Carl Safina

Tales from the Whale Side

Conservation biologist Carl Safina came upon some remarkable, unexplainable stories of killer whale behavior toward humans in the wild while writing his book Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel. Carl is President of the Safina Center and is on the board of the Whale Sanctuary Project. These stories are excerpted from his book. Tales from the Whale Side – Seven

Why would these beings declare unilateral peace with humans and not with dolphins and seals, whom they hunt and eat? Why would they single us out to give assistance? And why no grudge? Read more

Tales from the Whale Side – Six

One of the dolphins came briefly nearer the boat, and then suddenly fled. At that point, someone discovered that one of the people aboard had just died during a nap in his bunk.Read more

Tales from the Whale Side – Five

She allowed herself to wonder: were the whales trying to communicate something after she’d defended their family? Reading her thoughts while she watched them would mean true telepathy. That, she knew, “flew in the face of reason.”Read more

Tales from the Whale Side – Four

The dog’s owner was sitting on a log, crying, when he heard the blows of killer whales. He could see them coming closer. Just after the whales passed, he heard splashing. Suddenly, there stood his sodden dog, weakened and vomiting saltwater.Read more

Tales from the Whale Side – Three

“It was like a portal opened, or an introduction to another possibility of communication. I felt lighter, more integrated, very hopeful, light-hearted and full of joy.”Read more

Tales from the Whale Side – Two

Killer whales seem capable of random acts of kindness that defy explanation and make scientists consider some pretty far-out possibilities. Killer whale behavior seems to fall into two categories: amazing behavior and inexplicable behavior.Read more

Tales from the Whale Side – One

“The whales understood that we weren’t going to be involved in high-speed chases. We weren’t going to be shooting any darts and tags. They saw that we were cool around them. Which implies, y’know, a consciousness of what’s going on.”Read more

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