Earth is a magnificent place because it is lovely and because it has so many different living forms coexisting. We occasionally hear about men and women sacrificing their lives to help animals. This is one of those stories. On a beautiful, bright afternoon, co-founder Michael Fishbach was sailing with his crew and family. While having fun on the sea, the crew and family came across something they couldn’t ignore.
The team had found a huge humpback whale. The team was supposed to be delighted and eager, but they were upset by what they saw. The humpback was caught in some local fishermen’s nets. They originally assumed the whale was dead because it was barely moving. The whole gang was overjoyed as the enormous whale turned slightly and exhaled massively from its blowhole. That was far from the end for Michael and his colleagues. The humpback’s tail and fins were caught in the nets, immobilizing it.
Any animal rescuer will tell you that approaching a distressed, cornered animal is risky. This gorgeous creature was entangled in human-made nets. So Michael was in grave danger. The whale was unable to breathe since it was 15 feet below the surface of the ocean.
It was a two-part rescue. With only one knife, the team had to work swiftly to cut through the fishing nets. However, Michael and his crew had to calm the whale so they could approach. They had no choice but to carefully cut the net from around the humpback’s neck.
Michael and the tea soon sliced through the mesh, allowing the gorgeous beast to move. In its haste to get moving, the whale took the entire team for a half-mile ride. This was before the team fully freed the whale.
After the rescue, the team named the whale Valentina. The humpback realized Michael and his team meant no harm and only wanted to help. Valentina thanked her rescuers and swam away.
Valentina, the humpback whale, made beautiful moves to express her gratitude. She spent an hour playing with everyone. It was very remarkable to see the bond between man and animal in such a short period of time. This is the kind of interaction that makes Earth so wonderful.
