Sometimes an attempt to save an animal places the rescuer in great personal risk. This is one such case.
From a personal perspective, Man has unilaterally usurped the rights to the sea and all its wealth and abundance. Through its determined and mindless efforts at overfishing, places all marine animals in jeopardy. Furthermore humankinds’ thoughtless deeds endanger species and in this case, the life of a giant of the sea.
This act of human kindness appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle some time ago. It told of a female humpback whale that had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.
She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.
A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.
Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was in such a bad shape that the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her, a very dangerous proposition.
One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles.
She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently around, she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.
Such acts of kindness and altruism are paradigmatic of those fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding and weighing you down.
My greatest wish is that the next million generations of McCleland’s will be able to marvel at these creatures and not have to watch ancient documentaries to catch a glimpse of these leviathans.
More than that I have a fervent wish that they will emulate these unselfish souls and cut the tangled and strangling lines of those not only near and dear to them, but also unfortunate animals wherever they may find them
Excellent book of stunning phots of whales