NathanHauser’s Fate
After literally getting saved by a humpback from a fearsome tiger shark, Hauser says she would not be surprised to hear that some people are skeptical. “If it hadn’t been me, if it hadn’t been filmed in three different angles, I wouldn’t believe it,” she said in an interview, “I tried a lot not to anthropomorphize any of the behavior that I see. It’s easy to do, but it’s not a good practice in science.”
Human Protectors
We may never get the answers as to why these whales do what they do, but this experience will forever remain special to Hauser. “I’ve spent years protecting whales, and at the moment, I didn’t even realize that they were protecting me,” she had said. It must be nice to actually experience such a rare case even though it could have cost her her life.
Altruism
She then went on saying, “There is a published scientific paper about humpbacks protecting other species of animals, by Robert Pitman. For instance, they hide seals under their pectoral fins to protect them from killer whales. They truly display altruism – sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives.” Humpbacks are indeed a curious case and deserve all the protection and conservation they can receive.
Up Close And Personal
Nan does not recommend actually touching these whales even if they are known to be very friendly. “I never touch the whales that I study unless they are sick or stranded on the beach,” she had explained. “In my head, I was a bit amused since I write rules and regulations about whale harassment – and here I was being harassed by a whale.”
Hopes For The future
The only thing left for Nan the biologist to do is to share the footage she and her team could take. She can now use this very valuable tape so as to expand research and awareness of such actions from whales. In the end, her traumatic experience turned out to be such a blessing in her endeavors as a marine biologist trying to save the ocean and the animals that reside in it.
Fear Of Entering The Water Again
So for most of us who have experienced a life-threatening incident, we would usually stray away from the place where it happened right? This was not the case for Nan who is now even more dedicated. When Hauser was asked if the incident with the whale and the shark made her fear the water, her response was a quick and simple: “Never.”