As much as we’d like to see a whale in the wild, we’re not sure having a panicking whale nearby would be ideal.
But one group of sailors didn’t let that fear stop them from helping a creature in need.
Of course, the whale was lucky that one of those people was Michael Fishbach, the co-founder of The Great Whale conservatory, who was out for a sail that day.
Fishbach and his crew came across a giant humpback whale one sunny afternoon.
But instead of being excited to see this great animal, they were all saddened at the sight.
The whale had managed to get entangled in the nets of the local fishermen and was hardly moving. At first, they presumed it was already dead.
But once Fishbach realized it was still alive, he decided to get in the water with the gigantic creature
The whale rolled slightly and let out a huge breath from its blowhole. The team was overjoyed by this but they knew that the danger was far from over.
The whale was still stuck and was unable to swim due to its tail and fins being trapped in the nets.
As any animal rescuer will tell you, there is always a danger in approaching a cornered animal who is in pain. They might perceive you as a further threat.
To make matters worse, time was also of the essence as the whale was floating 15 feet below the surface of the water and was not able to breathe.
The task at hand was twofold. The team had to work quickly using the only knife they had to cut through the nets.
The other task was to keep the whale calm so that it would allow them to approach it.
Knowing that they had their tasks cut out, they started cutting the net from around the humpback in earnest.
They were able to cut through the nets pretty quickly and soon the whale was able to move.
But in its eagerness to get moving again, the whale pulled the entire team along with it for over half a mile before they were able to free it entirely!
By the time the entire rescue operation was over, Fishbach and his team had developed a special bond with the whale. They even named it Valentina and she seemed to know that they did not mean her any harm and wanted to help.
Valentina swam away soon after, but not before letting her rescuers know how much she appreciated their help.
Before she swam away for good, Valentina performed a series of maneuvers to show her appreciation and she spent almost an hour playing with Michael and his team.
It was definitely worth a watch because of the kind of bond that developed between them in such a short span of time and it is this same bond that makes our planet such a wonderful place.
In case you are wishing that you were there to see this amazing spectacle, scroll down below for the whole video!
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