#38. Nan, The Whale Expert
Nan Hauser is a marine biologist and wildlife expert who has dedicated her career to the study of the ocean, especially whales and dolphins. Throughout her 28-year career, she has gone on countless diving expeditions, mainly around the Caribbean Sea.
She also runs the Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, where she works as a researcher for the Cook Islands Whale Research Project. As you can imagine, most of her fieldwork involves diving into the depths of the ocean!
#37. The Cook Islands
Nan has carried out most of her research and expeditions near the Cook Islands, located in the South Pacific Ocean somewhere in between New Zealand and Hawaii. This archipelago is most famous for its vast whale population.
To be more specific, the Cook Islands are home to one of the largest humpback whale populations in the whole world. This species is on the brink of extinction, hence Nan's interest in carrying out her research project before it's too late.
#36. A Scientific Benchmark
Being one of the greatest experts in the field, Nan has given many lectures on the behavioral patterns of the world's different species of whales, not only humpback whales.
As a matter of fact, Nan has appeared on many shows on Discovery Channel and National Geographic to share her diving experiences and her most notable findings.
#35. A Diver's Paradise
Near 2005, Nan decided to settle down in Rarotonga, a small volcanic island located in the South of the Cook Islands. This way, she wouldn't have to travel as much each time she went on a diving expedition.
You're probably wondering why she chose to settle in one of the smallest and most remote islands of the archipelago. Well, the thing is, Ratatonga is one of the spots where you'll most likely spot a hunchback whale!
#34. Time To Wake Up
One day, Nan woke up early and got ready for another of her diving missions. Waking up before 5 AM was part of her routine, as the earlier the diving expedition starts, the better.
Just a few minutes after she submerged into the water, she came across a huge humpback whale who was swimming towards the surface. You won't believe what happened next!
#33. 50-Ton Creature
It was her lucky day, as sometimes it took her hours and hours before she spotted the first whale. For any of us, swimming next to a whale would probably be a terrifying experience, but not for her! Nan had seen humpback whales hundreds of times and the truth is that they are usually friendly creatures.
However, Nan soon realized that something was not right. This 50-ton, 60-foot-long beast was swimming rapidly towards her for no apparent reason, so she knew had to be careful!
#32. Keeping It Safe
Nan had plenty of experience dealing with marine creatures, so she knew she didn't have to antagonize with the whale no matter what. Even though humpback whales are generally friendly, you always have to keep it safe.
At first, the whale just swam near her and reached the surface for some air, but moments later, she got extremely close to her. Nan realized that the whale was behaving in an unusual way, but little did she imagine what was about to happen.
#31. Way Too Close
The diver had no intention of coming close to the whale nor of making contact with her. But as she confessed in an interview, "Instead of swimming past me, he came right toward me, and he didn't stop coming towards me until I was on his head".
The whale pushed the diver onto its head, just as you can see in the image above. Nan was obviously terrified. She didn't even have any diving equipment other than her snorkel and camera. She was praying that the animal would stay calm – but would it?
#30. Her Heart Missed A Beat
Just a few seconds later, the wale started rolling in the water and poked Nan. Sure, the creature meant no harm, but if a 5-ton creature nudges you, I bet it hurts at least a bit!
At first, she hoped it had just been an accident with no significance at all. However, the animal continued to behave in the most unexpected way, and moments later, it did this.
#29. She Flew Out Of The Water
Seconds later, the humpback whale tucked the diver under its fin just as it tossed her out of the water. Nan was left with no choice but to grab tight to the fin and not let go.
She knew that panicking would only make things worse, but truth be told, she was scared and shocked to her very core. Never had this happened to her before!
#28. Prepared For The Worst
As the seconds passed, the whale kept getting more aggressive and she diver didn't know what to expect. She nudged and pushed her around for nearly ten minutes, but for Nan, it felt like a lifetime.
In fact, she then said in an interview that by that time, she thought she would possibly lose her life. She was prepared for the worst, but little did she imagine what was about to come.
#27. Striking Testimony
Nan narrated her misadventures on several live TV shows, and her testimony is truly spine-chilling. > "I tried to get away from him for fear that if he rammed me too hard, or hit me with his flippers or tail, that would break my bones and rupture my organs", she said.
On top of this, Nan knew that the whale could kill her effortlessly with a single movement. "If he held me under his pectoral fin, I would have drowned", Nan confessed.
#26. As Scared As Ever
Nan didn't know what else to do to hold her horses, and the truth was she had never been so scared in her life. > "I didn't want to panic because I knew that he would pick up on my fear", she admitted a few days after the incident.
But even though it was hard for her to keep calm, she tried to figure out a plan to get away from the giant beast as quickly and safely as possible. She knew that her team was just a few meters away, but the bottom line was that there wasn't much they could do to face a 50-ton whale!
#25. Turn Off The Camera!
Do you know what the crazy part is? The whole situation was recorded on video! Nan and her team were out in the ocean for research, so one of her mates had been filming her underwater the whole time.
But do you know what's even crazier? The diver who was in charge of the camera had never seen a whale before, so he didn't even realize that its behavior was unusual!
#24. The Rest Of The Crew
But what about the rest of the time? Just while Nan was fighting for her life, the rest was impatiently waiting above the surface, and two men were in charge of filming the events with a drone.
We could say they were in charge of the simpler task, but they were deeply worried about Nan's safety. So much so that they turned off the camera. They were worried she would die and they didn't want to have to film that.
#23. They Were Not Alone
The whale kept pushing Nan further from the boat, so the chances of swimming back kept getting smaller. But little did she know that the worst was yet about to come. Moments later, she spotted a second whale heading towards her.
As if all this weren't enough, this second whale seemed to behave oddly too. It kept slapping its tail against the water, God knew why. But then, a third creature appeared from the depths of the ocean. Was it a third whale? Slide next and find out!
#22. Danger On The Horizon
Nan let go of the whale's fin just as the second whale was nearing them. She attempted to swim away from both of them towards the boat's direction, though she knew this would be a nearly impossible feat.
However, moments later, when she looked back to check if the whales were following her, she was horrified by what she saw. The whales weren't the only thing she had to worry about.
#21. It Wasn't A Whale
She had figured from the start that the third creature was also a whale, but she noticed that the animal wasn't moving up and down like whales usually do, but from side to side. What did this mean?
Nan was a wildlife expert and was familiar with the behavioral patterns of marine animals, so she knew just what type of creature it was. It was no whale, let me tell you that.
#20. The Deadliest Of Predators
Nan soon realized that the two whales were the least of the threats, as the animal that was lurking by was the most dangerous fish in the world: a tiger shark. The diver was in for some serious trouble.
Being an expert in marine wildlife, she was fully aware of just how aggressive these sharks were. In fact, they can even be a threat to a whale, not to mention a human!
#19. Tiger Sharks
What's so special about tiger sharks, anyway? Tiger sharks can weigh up to 1 ton and are usually 25 feet wide. They can usually be spotted in the warm Caribbean waters, though they also inhabit the South Pacific waters.
I know what you're thinking: aren't all sharks dangerous? Well, mostly, yes, but what's special about tiger sharks is that they don't just bite and leave as white sharks do, but kill their preys instead. Can you imagine yourself in Nan's shoes now?
#18. Time Was Ticking
Nan was now surrounded not by one, not by two, but by three giant creatures, one of which fed on humans. Now, the two whales sounded like the least of problems; her attention was drawn to the shark that could kill her.
The diver and the cameraman were left with only one option: they had to swim towards the research boat as quickly as they could, and they knew time was ticking. But would they make it?
#17. Safe And Sound
Luckily for them, Nan and the cameraman cheated death heroically and reached the boat in less than a minute. As they got on the boat, they warned the rest of the team that a shark was lurking by.
While the cameraman hadn't been injured, Nan was worn down and quite bruised as a result of the whale's nudge, so she had trouble pulling herself to the deck on her own.
#16. Catching Her Breath
Once the team helped her to the deck, she drank some water and caught her breath. It took her not less than fifteen minutes to pull herself together.
Once she was safe, she started thinking about what had just happened. Suddenly, she connected the dots and realized why the hunchback whale had acted so aggressively. Can you care to guess?
#15. Connecting The Dots
Once she had calmed down, Nan watched the footage of her misadventure, and she now understood what the whale had been trying to do. Apparently, the whale had tried to warn her that a shark was getting near.
Nan and the cameraman were both lucky to be alive and they were equally thankful that the whale stood on harm's way for their sake. But just as they were preparing to go back to the coast, this happened.
#14. Checking She Was OK
To everyone's surprise, the whale who had saved the divers swam back to the shore, almost as if it were checking that Nan was OK. It really seemed like it was worried about her safety!
But not only that! The whale also gave a spray from its blowhole before disappearing to the water, and just as she did that, Nan screamed: "I love you too!". Could they be any cuter?
#13. The Talk Of The Town
Nan couldn't believe what had just happened. In fact, she admitted that if anyone had ever told her such a story, she wouldn't have believed it. When her story made it to the headlines, some scientists were skeptical and refused to believe her ordeal.
Luckily, the team had carried both a camera and a drone with them, so they counted with double footage to prove the world just how thrilling and unbelievable their adventure had been. Soon, Nan was all the world talked about.
#12. Groundbreaking Footage
As we've said, Nan had researched whales for nearly three decades. From the animal's anatomy, physiology, to their behavioral and feeding patterns, she really knew it all.
Precisely because she was such an expert on whales, she was fully aware that her footage was groundbreaking, as she had recorded a historical event. She was convinced that it was the first time a humpback whale had tried to protect a human being from a potential threat.
#11. Alert To Locals
The broadcast of Nan's footage had a deep impact on the scientific community as well as among the local people. In this sense, during the following days, local fishermen reported having seen the same tiger shark.
Other locals reported having seen the same shark lurking near the reef, where many tourists go diving. Thanks to Nan's story, everyone would now be alert. But what repercussions did this footage have in the academic field?
#10. Footage Missing
Nan's footage was also valuable for scientists, as it contributed to the study of the hunchback whale's behavioral patterns. Sadly, there wasn't footage of all the events;
For instance, there weren't any videos of the moment in which the whale pushed the diver out of the water or when she swam for her life towards the boat as quickly as she could.
#9. Great Scientific Value
In spite of this, the existing footage was helpful enough. In fact, it helped marine biologists from all over the world to gain insight into the minds of these mammals, and that's something the world should be thankful for.
Did this mean that whales were capable of emotions? Without a doubt, Nan's experience had proved to be significant to many, and it triggered many differing conclusions too.
#8. The Struggle Against Poaching
Apart from its contribution to science, Nan and her team also hope that their story will help to raise awareness on one very serious issue: the poaching of humpback whales.
In this sense, a lot has to be done to preserve these animal's lives and their habitat. Humpback whales have been hunted down ever since the 17th century, and even though just a few per year are killed, something has to be done to tackle the issue.
#7. A Crucial Cause
This being said, hopefully, Nan's story will make people see whales as the friendly creatures that they are and it will also help people understand the importance of fighting for the species' survival.
> It's funny how the tables are turned here: I've spent the past 28 years protecting whales, and at the moment, I didn't even realize that they were protecting me!", Nan said.
#6. Bringing Down Myths
Nan wonders why so many people see whales as threatening and aggressive creatures. For quite a long time, dolphins have been regarded as friendly and intelligent mammals – which they are – and many have even protected humans from danger. But what about whales?
For some reason, people don’t regard whales as intelligent and human-friendly creatures too. But guess what? Apart from Nan’s footage, some research has proven that humpback whales are actually kind creatures who display protective conduct towards other animals.
#5. They Stick Together
During the migration period, humpbacks travel to the South Pacific Ocean to breed their offspring. They usually move in packs to protect their young, which means they never migrate on their own. This helps explain Nan’s experience, as she encountered not one but two of these creatures.
Another reason why they stick together is to protect themselves from poaching. In this sense, humans are the main threat to whales and it’s because of us that they’re on the brink of extinction.
#4. The Protectors Of The Sea
People should also know that whales barely pose any threat to us humans. Humpbacks are omnivores and feed mainly on krill. Rather than predators, they’re protectors. Divers have seen them protect other species such as seals, dolphins, and other species of whales from the threat of marine predators.
In fact, in 2016, extensive research proved that over the last 6 decades, scientists have witnessed 115 situations in which a humpback whale protected their offspring or another species from an attack. How amazing is that?
#3. Questions Unanswered
But Nan was left with the following question: did the humpback whale realize that she was a human being? Some scientists believe that the whale probably thought she was a seal, due to the black color of her wetsuit.
But regardless of that, there is no denying that the whale behaved like a true hero. She hid Nan under her fin to protect her from the tiger shark. “Whales truly display altruism – sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives“, Nan said.
#2. Altruist Creatures
Although there is no consensus on the issue, scientists have developed a theory on this type of behavior. Hauser claims that “whales truly display altruism – sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives”.
This is clear, given the fact that humpbacks are willing to hide animals under their fins and put themselves at risk to marine predators seeking them out. There are many recorded instances of this happening in the wild.
#1. Different Theories
However, some other scientists say that the humpback's altruist behavior could actually be an instinct rather than a deliberate action.
At the same time, claim that it may be a response to the distress signals from other animals. While we still haven't arrived at a precise answer, we can say that Nan was heroically saved by a humpback whale and that her experience will help the world to understand exactly how valuable these animals are.