In our Animal Minds episode, we met a group of divers who rescued a humpback whale, then shared a really incredible moment...a moment in which the divers are convinced that the whale found a way to say thank you. We obviously can't know for sure, and that question--how well can we really know the minds of animals?--was at the heart of the show.
We still don't have an answer to that one. But this weekend, a few listeners pointed us to a video of a different whale rescue. This one happened in February, 2011. Watch what happens after they free the whale. It’s kinda amazing. What do you think...does this count as an actual, quantifiable, cross-species thank you? There's no way to really, truly know...but what are your thoughts? Let us know.
Brenna is a writer, radio fiend, and filmmaker who lives in Brooklyn. She studied History and Literature at Harvard, took her love of roustabouting on the road as a travel writer, and came home to New York as a public radio producer and independent filmmaker. She hails from the Adirondack Mountains, where she makes frequent getaways for ice-fishing, hunting, and chopping wood.
Comments [8]
So wonderful to them being helped by humans instead of destroyed !! Beautiful creatures , we should be making sure they grow in numbers , but humans are the cruel stupids ones on this earth !!!
As an active advocate for animal rights/welfare, I am faced with so much sadness and negative actions by humans. This was so uplifting and beautiful, thank you so much for restoring my faith in humanity.
I wept while watching this. There is no doubt in my mind that this joyful, gentle, creature gave thanks to those who saved it. The whale could have easily moved on, swam away swiftly, but instead, chose to stay in view and gleefully perform for its saviors. I'm so happy to have shared in viewing this experience,it makes me love whales all the more.
I'm also a scuba diver, so first a huge thanks to these divers who helped in a dangerous situation.
Second, there's no doubt in my human mind the whale was communicating thanks to those who helped. We have this self-absorbed, narrow-minded obsession that believes we are the only intelligent species. The slaughter of whales is certainly wrong and ignores its abilities we cannot comprehend.
What a beautiful story.
made me a bit weepy with joy; angry at the carnage that doesn't end in beauty. Thank you for this.
Came to the site to share the Whale Story with a friend, and got another one! THANKYOU!
What an amazing story. So fortunate to share this with all of us. I applaud everyone involved that risked their life to save another.
Wow, that's beautiful.
I'd never know, but who's to say that cross-species thank-you's can't evolve? If all of us humans think that's beautiful, then we'd be more inclined to ... save whales that display this "thank you" behaviour, and I can see how cross-species languages could evolve.
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