After Saving Humpback Whale From Almost Drowning Family Is Blown Away By Her Gratitude

Jul 17, 2020

While out sailing with his family in 2011 off the coast of California, Michael Fishbach came across a humpback whale tangled in a net. After being freed, the whale showed its appreciation to Michael and his team with big splashes.

In all reality, planet earth is actually quite an amazing place. In this beautiful blue sphere, humanity can bear witness to the coexistence of a myriad of different forms of life. When the hand of destiny reaches out, we stumble across some choice examples where women and men put themselves in harm's way in order to help those in the animal kingdom that we share this great planet with.

As one of the leading founders of The Great Whale Conservatory, Michael Fischbach was out sailing with his family and crew on a relaxing sunny day, according to The Daily Mail. While everyone was enjoying the ocean vistas, the boaters sailed across a scene they couldn't ignore.

It was a humpback whale that had found its way into the nets of some local fishermen. Normally a beautiful sight and a very rare experience, the party was saddened by such an unfortunate turn of events for the majestic ocean creature. It didn't appear to be moving; many thought it had already passed away.

As they were discussing what to do about the situation, the whale moved slightly to the left and released a huge puff of air from its blowhole! The entire team was overjoyed to learn that the whale was indeed alive, but they knew that the clock was still ticking for the whale to be freed. Since the whale was stuck and unable to use their tail fins, they wouldn't be able to swim to find food or to easily keep afloat.

Animals that are in pain or have been cornered are incredibly challenging to approach because they presented danger all on their own. Many veteran animal rescuers have become incapacitated by an animal who thought that the rescuer was there too do it harm. This is something that Michael was concerned about as well, as he said in an interview with The Daily Mail.

Given the fact that this whale was trapped within a human-made net, it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility for this intelligent humpback to have doubts about Michael and his team. However, since whales are actually mammals, they require air to breathe, and this whale was resting at about 15 feet below the ocean surface. It was barely able to take any breaths of air. Michael knew exactly what had to happen next.

There were two critical components to the task ahead: cut the net, and keep the whale calm. The crew only had a single knife on board, so only one person could attempt to free the whale at any one time.

The rest of the team brainstormed ways to keep the whale relaxed. Although the knife was able to slice through the net quickly, there was still plenty of danger to be had. Once the whale felt its bonds being severed, it attempted to move away quickly. The entire group was pulled over half of a mile before they were able to completely free the whale from the net!

Once the operation was successful, Michael and his crew felt as though a truly special bond was formed with the whale. They named the whale Valentina after one of Michael's favorite performers. Content with a deed well done, the crew prepared to sail away when suddenly Valentina performed a series of intricate jumps in the air to show her exuberance to finally be free and to thank her rescuers!

Have you ever encountered a humpback whale while out on a boat? What would you have done in order to help calm down the well with the rest of the team? We want to hear your thoughts! And make sure to pass this wonderful video on to fellow animal lovers.