When an experienced biologist Nan Hauser took a routine dive, she had no idea what awaited her in the sea. While she was in the sea, a massive humpback whale began to aggressively push her around. Generally, this species is amicable, but this humpback was quite out of control. As much as Hauser tried to protect herself from the whale, it seemed as if all her efforts were in vain. Even though Hauser is an experienced marine biologist, still she could not identify the reason behind the whale’s terrifying behavior. As the events came to light, Hauser was surprised to know what had really happened to the whale.
An Experienced Marine Biologist
As a marine biologist, Nan Hauser has spent a major chunk of life monitoring the ocean. Her 28 years of experience in marine wildlife career has led her to participate in countless dives and expeditions in the Cook Islands and Bahamas. Hauser even turned the territorial waters off the South Pacific’s Cook Islands into a whale sanctuary. She had also gained popularity after being featured on shows airing on Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. But little did she know, one dive was about to change everything for her.
Taking A Dive Deeper
Hauser is one of the world’s most famous whale experts who started residing on Rarotonga, one of the largest of the Cook Islands, to live as close to work as possible. The Cook Islands is a 15-island country and is home to 21 species of dolphins and whales, more than 600 species of fish, and 16 types of shark. It was just another day at work, Hauser was all dressed up and ready to dive into the water. Some moments later she noticed a huge whale emerging from deep under the waters.
The Whale Didn’t Look Familiar
When Hauser witnessed that the giant sea animal was rapidly approaching, she realized it was a massive humpback whale. This species is capable of weighing 40 tons and grows up to 60 feet long, and it was approaching her. Hauser calculated that the whale weighed around 50,000 pounds. It was not her first experience under water, she was familiar with many of the whales she monitored regularly. But this particular whale did not seem familiar to her. What happened next was beyond her imagination.
Hauser Kept Her Calm
Hauser was an experienced marine biologist; she had spent almost half of her life with these animals. She knew how to deal with the situation efficiently. She knew scaring or provoking this creature from the deep was no solution to the problem. Hauser knew how to keep her calm in such situations. Initially, nothing seemed suspicious as she observed the whale. But, after the whale surfaced for air, it started getting really close to Hauser. At this point, things took a turn in a direction she had not imagined.
Heading Really Close To Hauser
Hauser had no intention of making any serious contact with the animal besides giving it a pat here or there. But in an interview, she revealed that this time, “instead of swimming past me, he came right toward me, and he didn't stop coming towards me until I was on his head." Except for her wetsuit and fins, Hauser just had a snorkel and a camera as her diving equipment. She could not even register it when the whale pushed her onto his head. But it didn’t end there.
Respecting The Wildlife
Being an experienced marine biologist, Hauser respected the ocean and marine wildlife. The best interest of the animals has always been her priority and she tries her best not to touch the whales she is working with unless they are sick or abandoned on the shore. But in this situation, the whale came to her. She said, “in my head, I was a bit amused since I write Rules and Regulations about whale harassment – and here I was being harassed by a whale." She didn’t know that she would not be amused for long.
Being Scared For Her Life
The giant creature started rolling in the water and nudging Hauser, churning her while simultaneously sucking her under the water. At a certain point in time, the whale even managed to tuck her under its pectoral fin, making her hold on for her life as it lifted her out of the water. Being the head of the Center for Cetacean Research and Conversation, Hauser knew that making the whale panic would make the situation even worse. Unluckily, the whale started getting very aggressive which made Hauser scared for her life.
Fighting For Her Life
The whale was getting more aggressive as it started pushing Hauser really rough in the water. While it had only been 10 minutes, it looked like a lifetime to her. Hauser admitted that she was prepared to lose her life. She recalled, "I tried to get away from him for fear that if he rammed me too hard, or hit me with his flippers or tail, that would break my bones and rupture my organs [...} f he held me under his pectoral fin, I would have drowned.” Fortunately, Hauser could remember a lifesaving hack.
Maintaining Her Calm
Hauser said, “I didn't want to panic because I knew that he would pick up on my fear." Even though she was usually calm around these animals, this was the scariest situation she had ever been in. She had to find a way to get away from the whale. Even though she had her team with her, they couldn’t interfere much with a 25-foot-long whale. All they could do was watch everything and hope for the best. But it seemed as if the crew was prepared for the worst.
Entire Encounter Recorded
The team with Hauser was researching so they had recorded the entire encounter. Hauser and a fellow diver had cameras in their hands so they could get footage as close as possible. The other diver had never filmed whales before, so she didn’t know that the behavior of the whale was unusual. The crew that was filming with a drone from above the surface were worried for Hauser’s life and discarded all the footage that had been shot. Hauser observed that they didn’t want to shoot her death. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to happen.
Panicked And Afraid
While Hauser was trying to calm herself from the situation, she kept her eye on the whale to ensure that he was not going to catch her off guard. Even though she was experienced in diving for a long time still she had never encountered such a frightful situation to date. The whale was now pushing her further away from the boat and her chances of swimming away were getting bleaker. She was so concentrated on getting away from the whale that she didn’t have the slightest idea what was sneaking nearby.
Not Alone With The Whale
Amid the chaos, Hauser noticed another whale miles from the shore. Almost like the one she was dealing with, this whale also demonstrated odd behavior and was causing a commotion as well, slapping its tail against the surface of the water. The first whale was still beating and thrashing Hauser and before she could digest the whole situation, a third creature made itself visible from the deep. At first sight, Hauser thought that it was another whale but her worst fears were about to come true.
Not A Whale
While Hauser was fighting with two whales at a time, she started swimming toward the safety of her team’s boat. Later, when she took her attention off of the whale to check her surroundings, she made a frightening discovery. She noticed a tail in the water was moving sideways and not in upwards and downwards direction just like whales’ tails do. As she was a professional marine biologist, she knew what was sneaking nearby.
A Horrified Realization
As the unusual third creature was coming closer to Hauser, it struck her that the struggle she was going through with the whale no longer required her attention. The creature that was coming towards her was no whale. She remembered, “So my mind quickly went, 'Oh, my gosh!'" But being a professional marine biologist, she could recognize most animals just by their outline or shape. The creature that was coming near her was the most dreadful fish in the ocean. It was a tiger shark.
A Brutal Predator
Hauser was scared beyond imagination. With her experience in the ocean, she knew the type of breed it was and how aggressive, fearsome and deadly these tiger sharks are. They can grow up to 25 feet and weigh almost a ton. This is the second most dangerous man-eating shark after the great white shark. They are mostly found in the warm waters of the Pacific islands, but unlike white sharks, they don’t bite and then retreat. These sharks typically hunt to kill, and one such deadly creature was approaching Hauser.
A Lethal Situation
Hauser was now stuck in a situation where she had not one but three creatures around her, one of them known to frequently kill humans. She was no longer concerned about the whales and all her attention was now on the deadly shark that could attack and kill her. There were not many options or time left for Hauser to plan anything, so she decided to do the only thing that she could. She and her fellow researcher, a cameraman made up to the research boat. But were they harmed in the process?
A Close Escape
When the divers finally managed to escape the shark and make it up to the boat safely, everyone took a sigh of relief. As soon as Hauser reached the boat, she warned the rest of the crew about the large tiger shark in the water. Even though Hauser was exhausted and was minutely bruised up, she still managed to pull herself up onto the deck. She had never been more grateful to be alive. As soon as she caught her breath, the behavior of the first humpback whale struck her.
Recalling The Moments
After pacifying herself, Hauser sat down and watched the footage of her trauma in the water. It was now clear to her what the whale had been trying to do. It seemed as if the humpback had been trying to warn her about the shark and to prevent her from the danger. She contemplated, "maybe the shark wasn't going to attack me." Instead, "he [the whale] was trying to save my life.” She had just undergone an unusual experience which was incredibly horrible for her.
Bidding Goodbye
Hauser was grateful to come out of the water safely. She was thankful for the whale for trying to protect her. While the whole crew was trying to make sense of the incident, the whale surfaced next to their boat. The whale was probably trying to check on the crew. It even gave them a friendly spray from its blowhole before diving back. Hauser shouted, “I love you too” before she lost sight of the whale under the waves. Even though she had the recording of the whole incident, many people didn’t believe her.
Some Skeptical Views
Hauser admitted, "I'm a scientist, and if anyone told me this story, I wouldn’t believe it." It didn’t take much time for the news to make headlines across the globe. Yet many scientists believed what happened between Hauser and the whale was nothing less than impossible. But those same experts that argued it wasn’t possible, didn’t rule it out completely. Hauser knows that the footage she had, proved that something amusing had occurred that she thought had never happened before. But the story didn’t end here.
An Unusual Experience
Hauser had conducted almost every kind of whale research in the past thirty years. She had done everything ranging from population status and feeding behavior to migration patterns. As she knew whales so closely, Hauser was firm on her point that her footage was revolutionary and captured a historical event. She believed that it revealed the once-in-a-lifetime event in which a humpback whale was trying to protect a human from a probable threat. However, it wasn’t the only finding in the aftermath of what happened to Hauser.
Shark Infested Waters
Whatever happened with Hauser in the waters spread like wild fire in the local area. As the news reached the ears of other fishermen and divers, they reported seeing the same shark that had been harassing Hauser and the whale. Some other witnesses claimed that they had seen the shark near the reef and it was almost the size of a pickup truck. All of this made Hauser feel even more thankful that she had survived that deadly dive.
Hope To Raise Awareness
The footage of the whale’s behavior proved to be priceless research material for scientists and other marine biologists. But the problem was that the entire incident could not be recorded which included when the whale pushed her out of the water. However, her film and testimony helped other marine biologists and people to get a better understanding of the minds of these sea creatures. Her experience was an amusing lesson to many people. She had hope in her heart that her story will raise awareness about a terrifying issue.
Turning The Tables
Hauser never disregarded untrained individuals getting into the water with humpback whales. But she was a little hopeful that the work she did would help inspire other people against the poaching of whales and preserving their habitat. She said, "it's funny how the tables are turned here: I’ve spent the past 28 years protecting whales, and in the moment, I didn’t even realize that they were protecting me!" However, it was discovered that there are other creatures in the sea that are friends to the human species.
Humans Have Marine Friends
For a long time now, dolphins have been regarded as intelligent and caring ocean mammals. Numerous instances have been reported in which dolphins have rescued humans from dangerous situations in the past. They have even saved human lives. But when it comes to whales, nobody has ever heard of them having such a behavior. Even though Hauser had footage of only some part of the whale’s behavior but there is some scientific research that might indicate humpbacks showing kindness when it comes to protecting other animals.
Whales Are Defensive Of Their Young
Humpback whales travel to the South Pacific waters to breed and rear their young during the austral winter. They have a tendency to band together in packs, especially when they are traveling with their young. However, this behavior is quite common around the world. Keeping this in mind, it made sense why the second whale was in close proximity during Hauser’s experience. Humpbacks were poached to the verge of extinction some time back but now their numbers are rising. Now, to make sure they are safe, they band together to defend their young.
Protecting Other Species
Humpback whales are omnivores so they are no harm to other species in the sea. In fact, they are often described as the protectors of the ocean and have been known to help other species of whales, seals, and dolphins that are under danger by predators. Hauser explained, "There is a published scientific paper about humpbacks protecting other species of animals, by Robert Pitman [...] "For instance, they hide seals under their pectoral fins to protect them from killer whales." Now the question is why do they help the species that are not their type?
Are Humpbacks Compassionate?
A study that was conducted back in 2016 found 115 recorded instances in the last 62 years in which humpback whales have intervened in attacks in order to save their calves and other species. This behavior is often called compassion but scientists term it as altruism. A lot of people associate animals with human behavior but Hauser said, “I tried a lot not to anthropomorphize any of the behavior that I see." Still, her footage might prove a slight disagreement for whales being altruistic.
Still Some Argument
There is a slight chance that the whale mistook Hauser in her wetsuit as a seal or baby whale. Nevertheless, Hauser argues, "whales truly display altruism – sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives." It is proven by the fact that humpbacks are ready to hide animals under their fins and put themselves at risk to marine predators looking out for them. However, there is a theory to back up their behavior.
It Could Be An Instinct
Nothing has been concluded about the behavior of humpback whales toward other wildlife but people believe it to be their instinct. They could be instinctively responding to distress signals from other species or just have an intuitive nature to protect. Even though there is no clarity on this for now, Hauser’s experience helped open people’s eyes to the amusing behavior of these majestic creatures of the sea. However, the story of this diver trying to understand the behavior of a seal when it suddenly grabbed his hand is fascinating people across the world.
An Unexpected Visit
One day when Grayson dived into the waters with his partner, the ancient wreckage was not the only thing that caught their attention. They wanted to examine the unique flora under the sea when something came in their way. Grayson and his partner were surprised to see two grey seals appearing out of nowhere. Their appearance near the divers was something to be worried about as seals are not as amicable creatures as we perceive them to be. They didn’t have many options left so they did what they could to save themselves.
Keeping Calm
In their training, divers are trained to not disturb animals in their natural habitat as the results can be more dangerous for the diver than the animal. So when the seal approached Grayson and his partner, they knew the best thing to do was to remain calm. Even though a majority of seals are famous for being friendly and playful, some of them have a tendency to get aggressive with humans. Grayson did all he could to not appear as a threat to the seal.
Remaining Still
Grayson and his partner were trying to remain calm as the two seals began coming closer to them. They held themselves as still as they could and took out their camera to shoot what they thought would be an incredible experience. Generally, seals are renowned for swooping in from behind or appearing in the middle of thick kelp forests like the one these divers were near to. The divers were ready with their camera to witness what happens next.
Discovering The Undiscovered
Nature has its uniqueness which is quite unpredictable for humans, especially when it comes to the ocean. There is a portion of the deep sea that is left undiscovered by the humans, so when divers get into the water they rarely know what they are going to experience. Gary Grayson had a reputation for his diving videography but little did he know that this time he was going to experience something he had never imagined. What happened next was totally unexpected for Gary.
The Viral Footage
Fortunately, when Grayson went for the dive, he had a friend with him who could capture the entire encounter. What they didn’t know back then was that they were about to film something that would go viral on YouTube and be watched by millions of people across the globe. The seals swam closer to the divers as they were filming the encounter. They came in so close that in the video you can see the seal right adjacent to the camera.
They Were Baby Seals
As these seals continued to approach the divers, they realized that these seals were just pups. With this realization, it became more important for Grayson and his friend to remain still in that situation. They didn’t want to scare the baby seals and wanted them to feel safe and comfortable so that they keep on lingering. Baby seals are easily frightened, therefore, the chances of them swimming away from divers were quite high.
Being Friendly With Them
The divers were excited to capture every activity of the seals closely. Fortunately for them, the seals began to show friendly behavior towards Grayson and his companion. They started encircling the divers which gave an illusion that they were trying to put on a show. Seals are famous for being friendly and playful. But their unique personality is something that makes these creatures distinctive. Soon after one of the seals did something incredible.
An Unusual Experience
Most seals are friendly and affectionate creatures but some of them can be cold-hearted and unfriendly too. The divers were aware of this, so they knew they had to be cautious about what they were dealing with to ensure their safety. Even though they were experienced professionals, still they were a little afraid of the consequences of the encounter. This was an unusual experience for them as they had never been this close to a wild sea creature before.
Similar To Puppies
The baby seals shortly turned out to be curious and friendly. The more they played around the divers, the more amicable and affectionate they became. The divers finally breathed a sigh of relief when they observed the behavior of the seals. It was turning out to be a positive encounter so far. These seals seemed similar to rotund water dogs with their adorable puppy-like eyes. But what happened next was totally unpredictable.
Lost In The Moment
Grayson and his companion couldn’t believe their eyes. The seals were so close to them that they were lost in the moment. Generally, seals are cautious and protect themselves by not opening too soon with humans. But the seals took the divers by surprise by swimming right up to them, giving them an impression that they wanted to become friends. It was once in a lifetime event that the divers were witnessing. Even though the seals were friendly, there was some odd behavior that bothered the divers.
Face-To-face With The Creatures
The seals did not only come close to the divers but interacted with them too. One of the seals started poking Grayson indicating that it wanted to hold his hands. The seal was holding out its flippers in a way that it wanted Grayson to reach out with his own arms so they could play “Ring Around The Rosie.” Grayson cautiously shook the sea’s flippers as he met face-to-face with it.
Floating Still
After shaking hands with his underwater buddy, Grayson’s arms were held by the seal with its flippers. As Grayson and his friend had never been so close to a seal in the past, they considered it wise to let the seals take the lead. Since Grayson and his friend were scuba divers and not professional animal trainers, they didn’t know what to do in such a situation. Therefore, Grayson decided to float still while the seal continued to rub its head and neck into his arm.
Exceptional Behavior
Generally, when divers intend to examine wildlife under the waters, they need to swim for days to get familiar with the animals. Within that stipulated time, the seals ensure if the humans approaching them are safe or not. This is the reason why Grayson and his fellow diver didn’t take any action when they spotted the seals. It was unexpected of the seals to approach the divers this soon. What the seal did when it got close to Grayson portrayed exceptional behavior.
Sign Of Aggression
Usually, when seals demonstrate such friendly behavior, it is considered a sign of aggression. Fortunately, Grayson and his companion handled it quite well that the seals ended up wanting to play. After nudging Grayson’s arm, the seal began play-fighting by nibbling at his suit. In the meantime, the other seal was comfortable enough with humans to swim around them and mind its business. Possibly, it was looking out for its friend like Grayson was for him.
Discovering A New World
These seals swam beautifully in the water which added to the illusion that they were happy and satisfied in the presence of these divers. Generally, when the seals are on land, they have to wobble around on their flippers and hop onto rocks and boats. But in this case, they were under the sea in their true element. After birth, seal pups spend at least four months with their mother before wandering off. Possibly, these seals had finally left the nest and were exploring their new world.
The Seals Were Curious
The seal pup did what was not at all expected of it and swam right up to Grayson. All of a sudden, it started sizing the diver up but when it realized Grayson was amicable, it was curious to see how far things would go. The seal demonstrated no boundaries. After it was done nibbling at Grayson’s suit and nuzzling its head against his hand, it ended up doing something which was unexpected and took some time for the divers to understand.
A Dip To Remember
Soon Grayson realized that the seal loves the feeling of being nuzzled. So, he started scratching its neck and head, just like he was an actual canine puppy. The seal did not resist what Grayson did for a while. On the other hand, Grayson and his companion could not believe what was happening in front of their eyes! It was a dip they would definitely remember till eternity. What happened next made the dive totally unforgettable.
Interpreting The Movements
After the seals were done playing with divers, Grayson and his companion didn’t know how much time was left with them to enjoy with these gracious creatures. Such beautiful moments fly too fast, so they were happy that they could capture the whole incident on film. Seals would have chosen to dive away any moment now but after everything that had already happened, things had apparently just begun. The seal started making movements he was expecting Grayson to interpret.
Figuring Out The Seal’s Behavior
When Grayson was playing with the seal, it kept inching closer to the seafloor as if it was trying to explain something to him. It was trying to make Grayson do something by nibbling at Grayson’s glove but it was on Grayson to figure out its behavior. After a few minutes, the seal’s behavior clarified what it was trying to do.
Exhibiting Friendly Qualities
Ultimately, the seal turned over on its back pointing out exactly what it wanted Grayson to do. Evidently, Grayson’s petting skills were so great that this seal wanted him to rub his belly. It was miraculous for this seal to exhibit such friendly qualities! Normally, such behavior is expected from an average dog or cat but this seal liking belly rubs indicated how universal this feeling is among animals.
Enjoying The Feeling
Apparently, Grayson was so good at belly rubbing, that you can witness the seal flapping his flipper over the diver’s hand in approval. It was an adorable sight to see, especially since the seal’s flabby coat moved along with the waves. Clearly, the seal was nurturing the feeling of being loved as it remained on its back for quite some time. All of this made the seal more amicable as it got back up to make another move.
Playtime Will Continue
Some moments later the seal was done with belly rubs and swam back to face Grayson. He then moved his hand underneath the seal’s chin and began scratching it. The seal loved that gesture too as it can be seen smiling in the video shot by the divers. Soon after this, the seal became happier and didn’t want the play to end yet. At that moment, it began playfully nibbling at Grayson’s glove and even had his hand in its mouth!
The Other Seal
In the footage, Grayson can be seen looking at his friend with a little concern on his face, the more the seal began biting at his hand. Fortunately, the bites didn’t seem as if it were forceful, rather it seemed as if the seal was just trying to play with him for some more time. Grayson finally decided to let the seal do whatever it was doing. Now the other seal felt it was its turn to join in the fun and started sniffing at Grayson’s feet.
Tired Of Playing
Some moments later, the first seal was finally tired of playing games. It no doubt enjoyed the belly rubs but as the diver continued to pet its coat, the seal started to swim away. At that moment, the seal’s buddy knew it was time to leave. The divers watched the seals swim away but they were totally zealous and happy about the rendezvous. However, they didn’t have any clue how viral their encounter would become.
Loving The Buzz
Grayson’s video went viral and gained international buzz in no time and he was obviously asked about the entire experience. He revealed to media outlets that he was “absolutely loving it” the entire time it was happening. “I had seen other seals in the water but they just buzzed past us. None was as inquisitive as [this seal] was, and none as friendly,” Grayson told a news agency.
Witnessing The World Of Seals
The majority of people might not have a clue on how to react in such a situation, but Grayson and his companion handled the situation very efficiently. Grayson said, “We were told just to sit on the bottom of the kelp but the more still we were the more inquisitive this seal was because we were in their world.” Even though they were careful and tried not to seem a potential threat to the seals, their stillness evidently was something that intrigued the seals.
A Unique Experience
Grayson admitted that even though he was a professional diver, still he never had an experience like what he did with the seals at the Isles of Scilly that day. He further added, “The grey seal came across and had five minutes with me, kind of thing. Then another was climbing up my leg. I'm an experienced diver but I have never known anything like that. I’ve been all over the world, to Mexico and Cuba, to dive with great big mantras and sharks.”
Once In A lifetime Incident
Grayson and his diving partner were astonished initially but it was because they were not expecting the seals to interact or play with them. Grayson said, "I’m not one to frighten easy.” He also added, “If the truth be told, I’m a bit of an [adrenaline junkie]. Before that, I was into sky-diving, I had done aerobatics. I tend to live life on the edge. But this was certainly up there with anything I have ever done.”
