Photo: gudkovandrey/123RF(Not a photo of the actual whale.)
Hauser recalled the incredible story during a2021 interviewwithBBC Earth.
While whales are not known to be aggressive with humans, they are obviously dangerously large and powerful.
Photo: gudkovandrey/123RF(Not a photo of the actual whale.)
When Hauser saw the humpback whale charge at her, she didn’t know what to expect.
I’ve spent my entire life underwater and I’ve seen plenty of tiger sharks, she said.
This was like a truck.
This was a huge tiger shark and it was coming right for me.
If someone told me this story, I wouldn’t believe them.
Even so, Hauser had all of the evidence in front of her.
Then, a second miracle happened.
She was reunited with the humpback whale a little over a year later.
At once, Hauser noticed the two notches in the tail fluke.
And then next I knew the whale came up next to the side of the boat, Hauser said.
He ignored everyone else on the boat and he stared directly at me…
I can’t believe he’s back!'
And sure enough there he was.
As they traveled together, the animal stared at her and even nudged her.
It was like seeing a dog that you haven’t seen in six months, Hauser adds.
I mean, who misses a whale?
Hopefully, the scientist and her heroic whale have not seen the last of each other.
Biologist Nan Hauser was saved from a tiger shark by a helpful humpback whale.
A year later, Hauser was reunited with her hero.
