Nan Hauser spent three decades studying whales, but no amount of studying could have prepared her for this fateful encounter. One day, a massive humpback got very close to her and started bumping, pushing, and even lifting her out of the water.
At first, she was confused, even scared, thinking the animal was attacking her, but then things took a sharp turn.
Living With Whales
Nan Hauser’s love of animals started early, back when she was growing up in Pennsylvania in a family that rehabilitated wild animals. Whales became her real obsession during early trips to Bermuda. Hauser watched them from the shore and wondered what went on in the minds of those giant, mysterious mammals. And that’s how a childhood fascination turned into a full-blown career.
As the president and director of the Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, she has worked on whale behavior, migration, acoustics, genetics, photo identification, and conservation. In other words, she knows whales about as well as a human possibly can.
The Dive That Changed Everything
In September 2017, Hauser was out on the water near Rarotonga in the Cook Islands while working on a documentary about whale conservation. The crew wanted footage of her swimming near humpbacks, so when a couple of whales appeared in the distance, she happily plonked into the water. At first, nothing seemed unusual. Then one of the whales got really close to her and began bumping her with his head and pushing her through the water. For Hauser, who had been doing this song and dance for 30 years, this was a brand-new experience.
Her scientist brain tried to make sense of the behavior, but her survival instincts were freaking out. Humpbacks may be known as gentle giants, but they are still ginormous. One accidental tail slap or body movement from an animal that size could seriously injure a person. So Hauser tried to stay calm, kept her eyes on the whale, and signaled to the boat.
Here Comes the Shark
A few moments later, things got even stranger. The whale swam underneath Hauser and lifted her partly out of the water on its fin. He kept pushing her and refused to leave her alone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what she thought was another whale approaching. But then she realized it was no mammal, but a tiger shark.
The predator was huge, around 16 feet long, and probably looking for a snack. Suddenly, Hauser figured out what was really going on. The whale probably knew the shark was on the hunt and was trying to move her out of danger. The entire encounter lasted several intense minutes, and although it looked almost like a Disney movie, Hauser later made it very clear that it was incredibly terrifying. Once she got back to safety, she thanked the whale, told him she loved him, and broke down crying.
Going Viral
The footage eventually spread across social media and went viral because seeing a massive humpback whale protect a human from a shark is nothing short of a Hollywood action movie plot. Hauser later warned people not to feel too safe among the gentle giants, as they are still wild animals that could unintentionally hurt you. Your ego and fleeting internet fame are not worth the risk.
Still, the encounter was massive proof that humpbacks can show altruistic behavior. It is, of course, unclear whether the whale was fully aware of the danger or just acted on instinct, but in Hauser’s mind, he did what he had to do to protect her. But hold on, this is not the end of the story!
Reuniting With the Whale
A little over a year later, Hauser was back near Rarotonga when she heard about a whale sighting near the harbor. When the team saw that the whale had distinctive markings and compared them to photos in their database, Hauser realized this was the same humpback from the shark encounter. Then the whale got close to the boat and looked straight at Hauser, as if saying, “Hi! Remember me?”
She did what anyone would have done in her place: grabbed scuba gear and dove into the water to catch up with her savior. This time, there was no panic and no shark. The whale approached her, gently bonked her with his head, and even allowed her to touch his face. This felt like an actual reunion between old friends.
By the next morning, the still-unnamed whale was gone again. But the memories remain. After decades of studying these beautiful creatures, this one encounter reminded Hauser that humans aren’t the only emotionally complex, aware, and extraordinary animals on this planet.