Our Two Heroes
Nicholas Taron and Sam Synstelien were going home after fishing an saw a buoy being dragged by a whale.
It was obvious that the creature was tangled in ropes, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. How did they do it?
Fishing Lines
Usually, whales get entangled in fishing lines or the nets used in maritime activities, but fishermen usually help them by alerting the authorities, who sometimes send a rescue team.
However, in this story, this was far from the case.
Just Like In Hollywood
In this case, no heroic rescue mission was set forth.
On the contrary, a courageous fisherman actually jumped in the water to free the whale. Sort of what would happen in a Hollywood movie, right? This is how it all happened.
Morro Bay
Sam Synstelien and Nicholas Taron work as commercial eel fishermen, so they're used to coming across whales during their work shift.
However, this particular day, they spotted a humpback whale in Morro Bay as it was struggling to escape from a rope.
Danger Alert
In an interview, Nicholas, who shot the video of the rescue, said that they immediately realized there was something wrong, because the whale “was just swimming in counter-clockwise circles".
What could that mean?
Something Was Wrong
As you may have heard, whales swim in concentric circles when they're catching their prey.
However, they usually do this at the depths of the ocean, not on the surface! Therefore, this unusual behavior meant that something was wrong, probably that it was in danger.
Splashing At The Surface
"You could tell he was stressed and being held to the bottom," added Sam.
Then, the two said that they reported the incident to the Coast Guard as soon as they saw the animal splashing on the surface of the water!
Tangled Up
The crew explained that the whale was “tangled up in all that rope." To make matters worse, some of the ropes that had caught on the whale's tail were tied to a buoy.
The poor creature was in distress, but what could they do to help?
They Had A Plan
Sam and Nicholas realized that they needed to cut the ropes that were tied to the buoy in order to set the whale free.
Therefore, the first thing they did after notifying the Coast Guard was to cut the buoy free, but this proved of no help. The whale was still stuck!
Easier Said Than Done
Cutting the buoy may sound like a simple task, but it actually took them almost an hour and a half. So when they realized their effort had been fruitless, they were disheartened.
They contacted the Coast Guard once more, but can you guess what they were told?
White Flag
"The Coast Guard kind of finally said there’s nothing else you can do," Taron explained.
But Sam didn’t want to give up on the poor whale, so they took matters into their hands. As crazy as it sounds, Taron upped the volume on the radio and yelled at the whale…
You're On Your Own
Taron said in an interview to the Washington Post that he yelled to the whale as loud as he could:
> “We’re your only hope. No one is coming here. You’re either going to let Sam jump on you — or you’re on your own", he screamed from the top of his lungs.
No Way Out
Apparently, not only was the whale was caught in the rope, but it also seemed that the rope was somehow attached to the bottom of the ocean.
The fisherman decided he couldn’t leave the poor creature struggling and finally die, so he came up with the wildest idea...
The Wildest Idea
Sam realized he had no choice but to dive into the water and set the giant beast free on his own.
Can you believe it? This posed a great danger, as even though whales are not aggressive in nature, they are so incredibly heavy that they can kill you with the slightest movement.
Moment Of Hesitation
Sam plunged to the sea and surveyed the water, the whale, and the rope.
He hesitated at first, but quickly gained courage and carried out his plan. Meanwhile, Nicholas yelled: "Get it, Sam. Jump on the whale right now and cut it!”
Hurry Up!
Sam didn’t get to jump on the whale in the first two tries, but on his third attempt, he managed to leap on its back.
Then, he tried to cut the ropes as fast as he could, while Nicholas, who was filming the entire rescue mission, yelled at him to make it quick.
A Nerve-Racking Moment
In fact, you can even hear Nicholas' screams in the footage! "Get it, get it before she dives!" he shouted.
Nicholas said that Sam crawled up on the whale’s back and then the whale shook its tail. Nicholas almost lost his grip on the phone as he saw Sam cutting one of the ropes…
The Boat Nearly Tipped Over
As soon as he cut the rope in half, the humpback's tail rose above the water and struck the side of the boat by accident.
The boat nearly tipped over and Nicholas almost lost grip on his phone, but luck was on their side.
Free At Last
"And that's when all the rest of the line fell back in the water and the whale swam free," said Nicholas.
In the end, they were successful and the whale was free once again. If you watch the video, you'll see that the humpback then goes for a deep dive and leaves behind his rescuers, who immediately start cheering!
Don't Try That At Home
I know what you're thinking: these guys are real-life heroes!
They pretty much risked their lives for the whale's sake! According to the officials, however, Sam's courageous act was not the right way to deal with this situation.
Professional Advice
The bottom line is that whales are potentially dangerous creatures. This being said, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Fisheries’ spokesman Justin Veizbicke stated in a press release that:
"We’ve had people die trying to get in the water, and just last year, we lost one of our responders."
They Should Be Left Alone
The NOAA explained that the animals trapped in such lines might seem like they’re in a stressful situation, but they can survive days, weeks and even months before being rescued.
The agency also explained that they were relieved that neither of the fishermen were harmed, but said the following…
Leave It To The Pros
"We fear this video is a very dangerous example, and may encourage others to attempt such a response in the future," stated the press release.
They also added that several trained responders have died during similar missions, even as they used the best methods and equipment.
How To Deal With A Whale
NOAA stated that the best way to help a whale is not to get into the water with them, “as these animals are very powerful and dangerous in close proximity.”
Therefore, trying to help them may be not for the better but for the worse.
It's Not Enough
Besides, according to professionals, even if you do dive into the sea to cut the rope, this may not even be enough to set the animal free.
> "And cutting just the visible lines may not totally free the animal, making it harder for responders to help", the Coast Guards said.
Useful Information
The Coast Guards also took advantage of the fact that this news had gone viral in order to raise awareness on the issue.
They informed the community that if you ever see an entangled whale, you should instantly call (877) SOS-WHALE (877–767–9425), or else contact the Coast Guard on VHF CH-16.
Their Sheer Size
But why are humpback whales so dangerous, you may be wondering? Believe it or not, an average humpback whale weighs 66,000 pounds!
And if we're talking about a whale trapped in ropes, they can kill you with the slightest movement. But that's not all...
Their Deadly Tails
Another feature we should bear in mind is that a humpback whale cannot see you if you're behind them.
This means that their tail, known as the fluke, is the most dangerous part about them. If they slap you with their fluke while you approach them, you'll be surely knocked out in the instant!
The Ellen Show
As you can imagine, the fishermen's video went viral. So much so, that Sam Synstelien and Nicholas Taron were invited to Ellen DeGeneres' show!
The two recalled all the moments of their rescue mission and had a blast on the set…
It Was Her Honor
Ellen was actually thrilled to have them on the show.
"I loved this story so much. I saw this story last week and I said 'we have to have them on the show!'", she said. Look it up, it's all on YouTube!
A Great Surprise
Ellen did not just invite Sam and Nicholas to let them share their story, but also to give them a big surprise.
They got life vests printed with awesome messages, and that is not all! Wait until you hear the rest.
First-Hand Testimony
Taron recalls how happy they were they could save the whale. “We were psyched”, he claimed.
He even felt touched while narrating the story! But just when he finished his story, Ellen surprised him once again.
Ten Thousand Dollars
Ellen told them that hopefully, they would not need to do this anymore, but just in case, she gave them the life jackets and then Shutterfly sent them each a check for $10,000 for their brave act!
That's definitely something they didn't expect!
A Dangerous Mission
Sam and Nicholas knew the danger they had exposed themselves to, and they even said so on the show. Even though the two had a marine transportation license and would usually encounter sea life, they said on the show that people shouldn't put there lives at stake.
But we're glad Sam gained courage and dove into the water anyway!
A Friendly Giant
At the end of the day, Sam and Nicholas are both happy they could save the whale, concluding that they only did it to “help out a friendly giant.”
Aren't you happy and relieved that the story had a happy ending and nobody got hurt in the process?