left Xtraordinary Living At Its Best: A Whale of a Story

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

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A Whale of a Story

A client of mine sent me this story (verified at snopes.com) that I thought was quite extraordinary. Having had an opportunity to swim with whales during our Tonga Learning Vacations, I know exactly what the people are sharing. In a media world that is full of negativity, these kind of stories remind us that there is plenty of wonderful stuff going on around us. Enjoy!

This was a front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle, It related how a female humpback whale had become entangled in a spider's web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail , her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help.

Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so badly off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around ~ she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you, my friends, in the same spirit.

You can also listen to a 10-minute interview with a one of the people who rescued this whale. It is part of a wonderful NPR program called WNYC's Radio Lab.


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