I hate monkeys. Except for
Trunk Monkey!
Posted on 05/30/2014 11:46:25 AM PDT by BenLurkin
One day, my research team and I were following a school of bottlenose dolphins near shore as we do on a regular basis in the waters off Los Angeles, California. We just wrapped up our photo-identification work and were moving on to take video of dolphin social interactions and enter data on behavior.
The dolphins were still feeding in circle near shore, when suddenly, one individual changed direction heading out toward deeper water. A minute later, the rest of the school turned to follow. We were so accustomed to tracking these coastal metropolitan dolphins back and forth within a few hundred meters of the beach, that seeing them abruptly leave a foraging ground and change direction came as a surprise to the research team. I decided to follow them.
The dolphins increased their speed, still heading offshore as I pushed the throttle ahead to keep pace while one of my researchers recorded this hasty change in behavior on the sighting form. Somewhere near three miles offshore the dolphin group stopped, forming a sort of ring around a dark object in the water.
The girl was pallid and blonde and appeared to be fully clothed. As the boat neared, she feebly turned her head toward us, half-raising her hand as a weak sign for help.
...
A couple of hours later...the ER doctor came out to talk with us. The girl, it seems, would pull through, and he thanked us for our quick action. He tells us the girl was vacationing in L.A. from Germany and, as the letter found in her plastic bag explained, she was attempting suicide. If we hadn’t found her, if the dolphins hadn’t led us offshore when they did, to that specific place, she would have died.
(Excerpt) Read more at newswatch.nationalgeographic.com ...
Good job dolphins.
I really do believe that all dolphins, whales, great apes, and some species of monkeys and birds deserve extra protection due to their intelligence and social structures. For instance most people don’t like crows but they are very intelligent and form family groupings. They have been observed in the wild working with other predator species to guiding them to prey and sharing in the kill.
Im just left wondering, How did she get there?
Swam out, apparently.
The big danger in ocean swimming is being carried out to sea by the currents. Once you are in one, you are screwed without outside intervention.
From MA 370
BTTT. I just caught “Blackfish” on CNN, kind of wish I hadn’t, but an excellent film.
Helping humans seems to be their porpoise in life.
Today a bird landed on my head - a smallish black bird and at first I couldn’t figure out what it was up there. I got it off but figured it must be trying to protect a nest. I guess it did the same to another person who had been standing in the same area. Brave little bird.
Thank God it didn’t poop!
I agree with everything you said except for crows.
Crows are evil. Yes, they’re intelligent. So what.
Nuke ‘em.
I definitely believe the dolphins perceived her distress and were concerned. Also understood that other humans could help. Quite amazing.
I hate monkeys. Except for
Trunk Monkey!
!
Or, they wanted to keep the ocean clean - hard telling their motivation, but a neat story.
Be thankful she didn't find her way behind the wheel of a large automobile.
A once-in-a-lifetime riposte. Well played, FRiend!
you should repost...
Oh, the sharks would have made sure the ocean was cleaned up. I surprised they hadn't already found her.
I think this was exactly as it appears...the porpoises saved her life intentionally.
So long, and thanks for all the fish!
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