While it may sound quite like a scene from the famous whale movie ‘Free Willy’, recent news reported a Beluga Whale that sensed the distress of a free diver and saved her from drowning by pushing her up to the surface.
Free diver Yang Yun owes her life to a Beluga whale named Mila at Polar Land in Harbin, north east China. News reported that the 26 year old free diver had been taking part in a free diving contest without any breathing apparatus. Competitors had to swim to the bottom of a 20ft arctic pool and stay there for as long as possible. The large tank was home to beluga whales one of which spotted diver Yang Yun struggling as her legs paralyzed with crippling cramps due to the cold temperatures.
Lucky Yun told a reporter : “I began to choke and sank even lower and I thought that was it for me – I was dead. Until I felt this incredible force under me driving me to the surface.”
The Beluga Mila was said to have helped Yun by grabbing on to her leg with it’s mouth before organizers even noticed the problem and they watched in amazement how using her sensitive dolphin like nose the whale guided the helpless diver safely to the surface.
Beluga whales like dolphins, are known for their intelligence, sensitivity as well playfulness towards humans. These social creatures can grow up t 15ft (5m) in length and are a striking white color with a humped head. Beluga’s are popular for their amusing facial expressions unlike other whales and they have an almost perpetual smile giving them a friendly face. An amazing fact about this whale is that it unlike most whales can swim backwards.
Unfortunately the dwindling numbers of this species has put it on the Endangered list. Found particularly in very cold waters around Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia, the biggest threat to the whale is human caused pollution from our rivers which flow out to the oceans where this whale resides. Hunting is another reason.
Let the remarkable story of Mila the hero Beluga whale, one of our world’s beautiful creatures be a reminder to us all of the plight of our oceans today.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
cool
July 30th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Wow that is the sweetest thing I have heard all day!! I now have a new favorite animal lol:)
July 31st, 2009 at 5:20 am
Such intelligent creatures…its amazing!
July 31st, 2009 at 7:29 am
Yesterday I heard the former trainer of “Flipper” (a famour TV dolphin in the 1960s) on radio, along with the director of the film “The Cove” coming out today July 31st (http://thecovemovie.com).
Many of the same things can be said about dolphins and whales. Dolphins are known to save humans who need help in the water. They, like whales and apes and elephants, are smart enough to be “self-aware” (they recognize themselves in a mirror). It is clear that as humans we need to be more enlightened and treat all of the high intelligence animals with the greatest possible care, and respect for their freedom, rather than killing them for meat and literally to reduce competition for the fish that we as humans have been decimating (in Japan a small group has organized massive dolphin slaughters, as shown in “The Cove”). Since dolphins eat fish, they are killed in the thousands to leave more fish for people.
Our higher selves as humans will be held captive until we recognize and protect the importance of all life, human, intelligent non-human, and every other animal.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
That’s too bad.
August 1st, 2009 at 10:26 am
AND THEN THEY ATE IT
August 1st, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Whales rule the oceans, why must humans destroy such beautiful peaceful and graceful creatures? The reason is mass greed that only the human race is capable of. We will eventually destroy everything even ourselves.
August 2nd, 2009 at 5:45 am
It’s a little misleading to say that Belugas are on the endangered list. There are two main areas they live in – one is endangered, but the other population is doing quite well.
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:40 am
comment sections on the net are like train-wrecks now-a-days. Even a wonderful story like this one will be shat upon by some ‘knowledgeable motherfu**er’. Yet, I read on, as if to hope one day I will come across a d-head free comment thread.. how naive of me. A wise man once told me: “opinions are like a$$holes.. everyone has one, and they usually stink.”
August 4th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
tim just made me happy.
August 11th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Have to say it’s funny no one is talking about how cool the damn baluga story is any more, (verbal trainwreck)
August 12th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I LOU WHALES!!!CAN I HAVE ONE????
August 21st, 2009 at 3:33 pm
so… the photographer just decided to take pictures instead of trying to help the drowning person? It’s sad when whales are more humane than humans.
September 26th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
This is just one example of many of an intelligent and sentient being saving the life of another. And yet, there are those who still don’t get it. They compare the slaughter of whales and dolphins to that of cows or chickens. When was the last time that a cow or a chicken saved a human life? The arguments of the proponents of the continued mistreatment or slaughter of whales and dolphins are akin to saying that because humans are not endangered, and because we have been killing each other for millennia, we should respect cultures who continue the practice of genocide. How cold. How sad. How misinformed. Please read my blog at http://whaleanddolphintalk.blogspot.com/
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Didn’t a Beluga grab a diver several years back and try to kill her?
Maybe this just evens the score….
I’m watching you Beluga, your move. . . .
October 25th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
incredibly well put david greenthoughts I appreciated what you had to say. humans are a disgusting race, but there are few who think well enough of other species to give a damn.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
That asome!So cool!
January 4th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
La Grande Bleu overturned!
January 14th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
I think that is so cute an d awsome