Buzz
Whales, orcas, dolphins, and porpoises are often hailed as some of the most awe-inspiring beings of the deep sea. While some can be imposing and fearsome when provoked, they all share a stunning beauty. These marine mammals continually astonish us with their intelligence, almost human-like behaviors. Many are known for their long lifespans and extraordinary memories. They roam across the vast oceans, sometimes in massive pods, other times solo, in pairs, or small groups. Diverse in size and temperament, whales and other cetaceans boast unique communities in the sea. Here are 10 unforgettable stories featuring these remarkable sea creatures.
10. Ibis
Ibis was a well-known humpback whale that frequently visited the coastal regions of Maine and Cape Cod in North America during the late 1970s and 1980s. Humpback whales in the North Atlantic are known to migrate between the Bahamas and areas ranging from Newfoundland to Greenland, or even as far as Norway. Researchers were able to identify Ibis by the unique patterns on her flukes, which are similar to human fingerprints. These migration routes are tracked by documenting whale sightings based on this identifying characteristic.
Ibis was a beloved whale among enthusiasts, with scientists tracking her since 1979. However, in 1984, disaster nearly struck. In early October, Ibis was discovered caught in a large fishing net used for catching cod and haddock. For almost two months, she fought against the net, gradually losing her strength. There was even a moment when it seemed she had drowned, as she struggled to reach the surface of the ocean with each passing day.
Finally, around Thanksgiving, Ibis was spotted accompanied by another humpback whale, which seemed to be trying to help her. Rescuers eventually managed to get close enough to Ibis, attaching floats to the tangled net to prevent her from diving, allowing them to finally cut the netting free.
The rescue of Ibis marked the first documented instance of a free-swimming whale being saved, and the group of volunteers behind the operation would later form the Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team, which has since rescued over 200 whales and other cetaceans in similar rescues.
9. Delta and Dawn
On May 13, 2007, a pair of humpback whales were spotted in the Sacramento River in California, seemingly lost. (Dawn is pictured above.) The whales also bore injuries that appeared to have been caused by boat propellers. Volunteers and onlookers tracked the whales as they swam up and down the river, guiding them toward the San Francisco Bay area. Rescue teams from the California Department of Fish & Game attempted various methods, including playing whale songs and even bagpipes, in an effort to stop the whales from swimming upstream.
The rescue operation quickly became both a national and international endeavor, as scientists treated the humpbacks’ injuries with antibiotics provided by Pfizer & Bayer. The medicine was administered using a 0.6-meter-long (2 ft) syringe from New Zealand. An expert from the Hawaii Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary suggested using fire hoses to pressure the whales back downstream.
After 18 days, during which their skin conditions worsened due to prolonged exposure to fresh water, the pair of whales finally turned around. In an ironic turn of events, after all the media attention and publicity, Delta and Dawn abruptly vanished from the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean on the foggy morning of May 29, 2007, with no confirmed sightings, no “thank yous,” or “goodbyes.”
8. Migaloo
In 1991, a completely white humpback whale was sighted near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, making its way from Antarctica to the northern coast of Australia. Almost 25 years later, the white whale named Migaloo has become one of Australia's most popular whale-watching attractions.
While there have been other confirmed sightings of white humpback whales, what makes Migaloo unique is that he is entirely white. Other white whales have been seen with black spots or other dark markings, but Migaloo’s coloration is spotless. Interestingly, scientists do not classify Migaloo as an albino, since albinos in mammals and most other animals typically have red eyes, while Migaloo has the typical brown eyes of a humpback.
It also appears that there may be another Migaloo swimming along the Australian coast. A white baby humpback was spotted near the Great Barrier Reef in 2011, though no one has been able to persuade Migaloo to take a paternity test to confirm if the white calf is his.
7. Old Tom
According to Australian folklore, a 10,000-year-old agreement known as the Law of the Tongue was established between killer whales and the Aboriginal people. In what is now recognized as Twofold Bay, on the coast of Eden, killer whales would herd whale pods towards Aboriginal whalers. By 1840, European settlers took over whaling, harpooning the whales and leaving the carcasses for the killer whales to feast on the tongues, after which the orcas would leave the remainder of the carcass for the whalers.
Old Tom became the most renowned of these killer whales. He and other orcas would alert whalers at a specific location near the mouth of the Kiah River, by thrashing their tails, breaching, and making a great deal of noise to signal the approach of whale pods. Old Tom had a distinct personality, sometimes clinging to dead carcasses with his pectoral fins and being pulled along by the whalers. On occasion, Old Tom would even do the dragging himself.
Sadly, in the early 1900s, as often happens, whalers (presumably not the native ones) became greedy and began violating the Law of the Tongue. They started dragging away dead whales without allowing the orcas to take the tongues as payment. In one notable incident, Old Tom engaged in a tug-of-war with a whaler over a carcass, a battle he lost, resulting in the loss of some of his front teeth. This injury may have contributed to Tom’s death, as it could have hindered his ability to tear flesh from whale carcasses afterward.
When Old Tom was found floating in a local cove, his length was measured at 7 meters (22 ft), which is relatively short for a killer whale. It was estimated that Old Tom was at least 70 years old, and possibly between 80 and 90 years, at the time of his death.
6. Luna
Luna was a killer whale born into the Southern Resident killer whale community, which resides along the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the United States. Shortly after his birth, Luna and his mother became separated from their pod, which was unusual because killer whales are typically very protective of mothers and their newborn calves. Luna ended up isolating from his mother and pod, becoming one of only two recorded instances of an orca calf separating from its family unit and surviving at such a young age. It was speculated that Luna might have been rejected by his mother, and later by his pod, though the exact reason remains unknown.
Luna eventually became a bit of a cautionary tale, much like the warning signs in national parks that advise against feeding bears. He became a favorite among tourists, showcasing his tricks, leaping out of the water, and getting close enough to boats that people could touch his tongue. Unfortunately, Luna was unable to distinguish between tourist boats and other commercial or industrial vessels.
The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans had intended to capture Luna and reunite him with his pod. However, local native Canadians opposed this plan, believing Luna to be the spirit of a recently deceased tribal chief. Unfortunately, this belief led to Luna's tragic fate. He eventually approached the wrong boat and was killed by its propeller.
5. Springer
Springer is another rare case of an orca calf separated from its pod. In 2002, Springer was discovered off the coast of Vashon Island in Puget Sound. He was suffering from parasites and a skin condition, and scientists speculated that Springer’s mother might have passed away shortly before she was found.
Fortunately, Springer’s story had a much happier conclusion than Luna’s. After months of observation, Springer was lifted by crane and transported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Manchester Research Station, where a team of veterinarians and oceanic animal experts dedicated a month to restoring her health. In July 2002, Springer was successfully reunited with her pod. Initially cautious, she was fully embraced by her pod within weeks. Scientists were able to identify her original family through distinct skin markings and vocal patterns used for communication.
In an even more heartwarming turn of events, 11 years after her return to the wild, Springer had successfully mated and birthed her own calf, marking her journey back to the ocean as a true triumph, proving that, on rare occasions, humans do get it right.
4. Sassafras The Deaf Dolphin
Sassafras was found along the Louisiana Coast in 2012, stranded and sunburned, lying in just a few centimeters of muddy seawater. During his rehabilitation, it was discovered that not only was he a small dolphin measuring 2 meters (6.5 ft), but he was also deaf. It was theorized that his mother abandoned him at the typical weaning age of two and a half, likely due to his impairment, which caused him to become lost and unable to care for himself.
Sassafras was among nearly 800 Gulf Coast marine mammals that stranded along the coast starting in 2010. Initially, the plan was to rehabilitate him and return him to the wild, but they soon discovered his lack of sonar capabilities.
Sassafras was born around the time of the BP oil spill in 2010, leading specialists to wonder if the disaster had contributed to his deafness. He was eventually moved to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Mississippi, where his showy personality emerged. His story highlighted the ongoing crisis of dolphin die-offs in the Gulf of Mexico, which began in 2010. Although many linked the oil spill as a major cause, other factors such as cold weather and an unusually high runoff from melting snow also contributed. The oil spill remained an influential factor, though.
3. Mini-Moby
To most beachgoers, the distinction between a dolphin and a porpoise may seem insignificant, aside from the fact that one is easier to pronounce. However, marine biologists recognize key differences. The porpoise has a short snout and spade-shaped teeth, in addition to a somewhat bulkier body that isn’t as elongated. Dolphins, on the other hand, are larger, with longer snouts and cone-shaped teeth.
Mini-Moby is a porpoise, notable for being one of only two known completely white Pacific harbor porpoises. While white dolphins, porpoises, and whales are not entirely rare, what makes Mini-Moby remarkable is his family history. Pacific harbor porpoises had been absent from the San Francisco Bay for over 65 years. Those who grew up near the Bay prior to the 1930s might recall hearing and seeing the snorting sounds of harbor porpoises at play and hunting.
In the early 1940s, the US Navy installed a steel net across the mouth of San Francisco Bay to prevent Axis submarines from entering. Unfortunately, this net also blocked the harbor porpoises. When World War II ended and the net was removed, the Bay had become so polluted and commercial fishing had done so much damage that the porpoises did not return.
However, years of dedicated conservation efforts are now yielding results. By 2008, harbor porpoises were once again spotted in large numbers in the Bay, and it has become (or perhaps returned to being) a natural breeding ground for these smaller, stockier cousins of the dolphin.
2. Pinky
In South America, there exists an endangered species known as the pink river dolphin. Found in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins, it stands as one of the only three freshwater dolphin species in existence.
However, Pinky is not part of these endangered species. Pinky is a saltwater bottlenose dolphin discovered in Lake Calcasieu, a saltwater lake estuary in Louisiana, in 2009. Due to genetic albinism, Pinky lacks pigment in both his skin and eyes, which gives him his distinct pink appearance.
Aside from spending a bit more time underwater than most dolphins, Pinky’s rare condition does not seem to hinder his life in any way. While not the first albino dolphin documented in the wild, what’s intriguing is that two other albino dolphins have been spotted in and around the Gulf Coast. One was seen in Little Lake near New Orleans, and the other off the coast of Galveston, Texas, raising the question: who is Pinky’s parent?
1. Mocha Dick
Many high school and college English students are familiar with Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick. What they may not know is that Melville drew inspiration from actual events. In 1820, the whaling ship Essex, under the command of Captain George Pollard, was attacked and sunk by an enormous sperm whale.
Survivors of the attack described the whale as being approximately 26 meters (85 ft) long. The whale rammed the Essex twice, forcing the crew of 20 to flee into three lifeboats. Captain Pollard aimed to reach the nearest land—the Marquesas or Society Islands—but his crew persuaded him to head for South America, fearing the islanders were cannibals. Ironically, the crew soon resorted to cannibalism themselves, even resorting to drawing lots to decide who would be eaten next. In the end, only eight crew members survived.
An even more direct source of inspiration for Melville was a notorious white sperm whale named Mocha Dick, known for attacking whaling boats and killing sailors off the coast of Chile, often in defense of deceased or injured whales. Mocha Dick was infamous for his intelligence, at times feigning death to lure boats closer before launching a violent attack. On one occasion, Mocha Dick destroyed three boats and forced the whaler to retreat. His reign of terror continued until he was finally slain in 1859, with 19 harpoons embedded in his body. By then, Mocha Dick had killed at least 30 men over the course of 100 battles.
