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.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
cool
Wow that is the sweetest thing I have heard all day!! I now have a new favorite animal lol:)
Such intelligent creatures…its amazing!
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.
That’s too bad.
AND THEN THEY ATE IT
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.
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.
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.”
tim just made me happy.
Have to say it’s funny no one is talking about how cool the damn baluga story is any more, (verbal trainwreck)
I LOU WHALES!!!CAN I HAVE ONE????
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.
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/
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. . . .
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.
That asome!So cool!
La Grande Bleu overturned!
I think that is so cute an d awsome
THAT SUX.! BUT BELUGAS ARE COOL ANIMALS:)
Thanks so much for the article post. Fantastic.
Free-diver drowning in 20 feet of water? Seriously–did anyone read the content of the article? And the photographer can see she's in distress and does nothing? Was the photographer certified by Krusty the Clown?
Tim–I'd prefer to read some intelligent thinking to discuss or refute a claim than a list of expletives without any basis or rationale.
Seriously, Matthew, did YOU read the article!?
This was a free diving competition to see who could stay on the bottom of this tank the longest in very cold temperatures, and the diver's legs were 'paralyzed' by severe cramps because of the temperatures.
The Beluga whale reacted before ANYONE ELSE KNEW she was in distress.
The exercise was held at a THEME PARK, and a simple search (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ-w7xI30jM) confirms that this Beluga tank also hosts shows for people that visit the park. Meaning the photographer was viewing from outside of the tank through glass, and could do absolutely nothing to help the freediver. You can even see the reflection/seam in the glass in all of the images posted in this article.
Take your own advice next time before attempting to look smart.
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