Whale Vs Woman
Nan Hauser is a marine biologist with a taste for thrill and adventure. But one frightening day in the South Pacific Ocean would change her life forever. It would open her eyes to the forces of nature, as well as to the natural instincts within herself. The ocean may look beautiful on the surface, but there is a very different world beneath it.
For those who are not so sure about what marine biology is, here’s a brief explanation. It is the scientific study of marine life and organisms in the seas. In order to become a marine biologist you have to do one heck of a lot of studying. For starters you will have to get a bachelor’s degree which could take up to four years. After that you have to get a master’s degree which usually takes two or three years. And once those two are complete, you can head off to do your PhD which can easily take six years, if not more. Does it still sound appealing to you? Go for it, but remember that the ocean is not always what it seems.
The ocean is a dangerous place. It is the home to thousands of different creatures, beautiful and grotesque. Each has made the ocean a dwelling place of its own, making it the most diverse ecosystem on our planet. Divers and marine biologists have spent hours upon hours exploring its depths, crevices and history. Some believe that we know more about outer space than we do about the deep blue that makes up two thirds of our Earth. And although it may look beautiful on the surface, there are creatures that lurk beneath the ripples that could put our lives in immediate danger. Nobody would know this better than Nan Hauser.
It was no new experience for her to be documenting and exploring life in the seas of planet Earth. She did admit that each trip was like a new learning experience since there was always something new about it. However, nothing would ever prepare her for the ordeal she would experience on that fateful day in the South Pacific Ocean. There would be no better way to actually feel the depths of the ocean than through the way that Nan Hauser did. This is her incredible story.
Getting To Know The Ocean
Nan Hauser used to be afraid of the ocean when she was a child. But that didn’t hinder her from being able to work with dolphins and whales later on in her life! She wanted to learn more about dolphins and whales— it was for this reason that she decided to pursue this dream of hers after graduating from her bachelor’s degree program.
Getting To Know The Ocean
Leading Whale Expert
Hauser was able to make a name for herself in the field of marine biology. In fact, she is known as one of the best whale experts in the world! She is one of the principal investigators of the Cook Islands’ Whale Research Project. She is currently based in Rarotonga where she and other researchers conduct research on marine wildlife in the South Pacific Ocean. Doesn’t that sound like the dream?
Leading Whale Expert
Understanding The Species
She didn’t limit herself to simply researching their behavior, genetics, biology, and migration. Nan also makes films in order to help educate people on how these animals survive in their natural habitat. She was able to turn the 772,200-square-mile area into a whale sanctuary! She stands as one of the Cook Island Marine Park trustees. Pretty impressive, if you ask us!
Understanding The Species
Rich Marine Life
The Cook Islands is one of the most peaceful places in the world and it is an ideal location for any marine researcher. Hauser and the rest of her crew created a sanctuary called Marae Moana which houses a total of 21 species of dolphins and whales, 16 shark species, and over 600 types of fishes! Aside from these marine animals, endangered turtles often come by as they travel through Marae Moana during migration season.
Rich Marine Life
Regular Day At Work
Diving with the whales is one of the many perks of working as a marine researcher in Rarotonga. However, Hauser underwent something that she definitely did not expect during one of her dives.
Regular Day At Work
A Visitor
She was diving while taking a footage of a humpback whale when it slowly nudged her. She elaborated on the experience in an interview with NPR in January 2018: “Instead of just swimming past me, he came right towards me. And he didn’t stop coming towards me until I was on his head.”
Frightening Moment
Hauser was about to panic when the majestic sea beast started rolling her around his large body. A humpback whale weighs around 25 ton and spans about 50 feet so imagine what that must have felt like! Hauser, who was never afraid of whales, slowly feared for her life. Her reaction was completely reasonable— after all, these large marine species can be incredibly unpredictable.
Frightening Moment
Irregular Behavior
As a researcher, Hauser has never seen such behavior coming from these leviathans. The humpback even nudged her into him. She described the experience as if the giant was “putting me on his head, or belly, or back, or, most of all, trying to tuck me under his huge pectoral fin.”
Irregular Behavior
Fearing For Her Life
It was indeed a frightening incident. Luckily, Hauser and her colleagues were able to capture this terrifying 10 minutes and a half on tape. The whale was seen swimming towards the diving biologist and nudging her to the surface. And then, it slowly and constantly pushed her into its head and tail. In the video, you can see the whale nudging her out of the water. Hauser was trying to move away from it but it continued to tuck her into its fins. What was going on?
Fearing For Her Life
A Nightmare
Hauser, who was known for her love for both animals and the ocean, suddenly felt fear and anxiousness for the first time in a while. At that moment, she was left with no other choice but to hope for the best. She only wished that she would make it out of the encounter unscathed.
A Nightmare
On The Cusp
“I’ve been underwater with whales for 28 years, and this is just really unusual behavior. It’s crazy,” she said. In one of her interviews, Hauser recounted the miraculous incident that occurred in September 2017. The humpback continued to maneuver her around its body for some reason. Hauser knew that it was a dangerous encounter as a single blow from its gigantic fin or tail could kill her in just a matter of seconds.
On The Cusp
Calming Her Nerves
The marine biologist tried to keep her calm, thinking that the whale might sense her emotions if she panicked. She knew the risks involved in the situation. “I stayed calm to a point but was sure that it was most likely going to be a deadly encounter,” she recalled. Hauser had tried to find a way to escape from the massive creature. However, she saw the true source of threat when she tried to detach herself from the whale.
Calming Her Nerves
Out Of Her Comfort Zone
Hauser was very much familiar with the South Pacific Ocean, but this was a completely new experience for her. “I wasn’t sure what the whale was up to when he approached me and it didn’t stop pushing me around for over 10 minutes,” she said.
Out Of Her Comfort Zone
Figuring Out What To Do
Hauser explained her actions during the frightening moment: “I didn’t want to panic, because I knew that he would pick up on my fear. I feel a very close kinship with animals, so despite my trepidation, I tried to stay calm and figure out how to get away from him.”
Figuring Out What To Do
Time Drags By
Like any frightening encounter, time seemed to stand still for Hauser, but she realized the importance of keeping calm during the ordeal. “His eye was so wide, I was just waiting to get whacked,” she said. “But it was clear it was trying to communicate something. It felt like three hours, I just tried to stay calm so he couldn’t sense my fear.”
Time Drags By
Dangerous Waters
As she slowly approached their boat, Hauser saw another whale just a short distance away from where she and the humpback whale were. She noticed that the whale near her seemed to be fighting with another whale. This confusing behavior definitely caught her attention. What was going to happen next?
Dangerous Waters
Moment Of Panic
Out of nowhere, the third animal began moving towards her direction! During the NPR interview, she said, “But… the tail fin was going side to side instead of up and down. So my mind quickly went, ‘Oh, my gosh.’” Hauser knew that she had to move fast.
Moment Of Panic
Foggy Vision
Despite her familiarity with the waters that surround the Cook Islands, she knew that anything could happen during that given moment. She was already exhausted from being maneuvered around by the humpback whale but she knew the third animal was more dangerous than the gentle giant. One wrong move from her and she could end up dead in no time. She tried to think of a way to save herself from the menacing animal despite her exhaustion. What was she going to do?
Foggy Vision
A Shark
The third animal that Hauser saw was actually a huge tiger shark and it was moving quickly towards her direction! She tried to quickly come up with a plan that could help her escape without startling the shark. After all, she was also worried that the creature would attack her.
A Shark
Panic Amongst The Crew
That day was the first time that Hauser encountered the whale ever since she started her underwater expedition. From a nearby distance, on their research vessel, her colleagues had abandoned their drones. You’re probably wondering why.
Panic Amongst The Crew
Disturbing Footage
The crew that accompanied Nan Hauser on her expedition feared the worst. They genuinely believed that she was going to be killed, and they were not prepared to videotape an incident of that nature.
Disturbing Footage
Her Thoughts
Nan began to really consider the reality and gravity of the situation. If death would not be her fate, then possibly worse effects would be. “I was prepared to lose my life,” she said. “I thought he was going to hit me and break my bones.”
Her Thoughts
Surrounded
She was caught in the middle of two large marine creatures: the humpback whale and the approaching tiger shark. She knew she had nowhere to go. Hauser wasn’t so sure if she could swim away from these species without ending up dead. But from the moment that she saw the shark, something clicked inside Hauser’s mind and the realization shook her to the core.
Surrounded
Life Threatening
Hauser finally understood what the humpback was trying to do to her! Sure, she was thrashed around, nudged constantly to the surface, and tucked into its fin— but only because it knew that a tiger shark was nearby! She did hear that these large sea creatures are well-known for protecting animals like porpoises and seals from predators. However, she had never heard of any human being the recipient of the giant’s altruistic behavior before she experienced it firsthand.
Life Threatening
Gentle Giant
Humpback whales are known as the “gentle giants” of the marine world. The word ‘giant’ is indeed fitting for this sea mammal. After all, they can reach up to 60 feet in terms of length and 40 tons when it comes to weight. These whales primarily feed on a diet of small marine creatures as well as planktons. Their species used to be one of the most highly endangered animals in the world! Luckily, the conservation efforts of many concerned groups have led to a significant increase in the population of the species.
Gentle Giant
Carers Of The Ocean
Hauser was aware that many have recorded these gentle giants helping other animals stay away from predators like killer whales and sharks. In a span of more than 62 years, there have been at least 115 interactions recorded. A marine ecologist called Robert Pitman was a witness to such an encounter. He saw a humpback whale shield a seal in order to protect it from a pack of killer whales that had been lurking nearby.
Carers Of The Ocean
Animals’ Compassion
Many biologists are now debating on how altruism is triggered in whales. Fred Sharpe, a researcher from the Alaska Whale Foundation, talked about this matter in the August 2017 issue of the Hakai Magazine. “[Humpbacks] are directing their behavior for the benefit of other species. But there’s no doubt there are important differences between human compassion and animal compassion.”
Animals Compassion
Animals’ Instinct
Pitman has also weighed in on the matter. In the same article, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employee lamented that, “When a human protects an imperiled individual of another species, we call it compassion. If a humpback whale does so, we call it instinct. But sometimes the distinction isn’t all that clear.”
Animals Instinct
Natural Intuition
Biologists have likened the creatures’ intuition with that of firemen. This is because of their willingness to rush and risk themselves to save others despite knowing the risks involved.
Natural Intuition
Tiger Sharks
Unlike the gentle giants of the sea, tiger sharks are well-known for being one of the most ruthless predators in the sea. These creatures can grow up to 25 feet and weigh nearly an entire ton. Their menacing reputation precedes them and they are second only to the great white sharks when it comes to the danger they pose. Unlike the latter, however, they do not immediately abandon their human preys and instead continue chomping on them.
Tiger Sharks
The Dangers Of The Deep
Tiger sharks are commonly seen around the Pacific Islands region. They often feed on seals, turtles, dolphins, fishes, and birds. They are often seen traveling alone instead of in large packs. This species is known to attack lone humpback whales when they travel in groups. However, this species is now slowly moving towards extinction because they are often commercially hunted for their highly-valued fins. The creatures are considered to be near-threatened.
The Dangers Of The Deep
Hauser’s Fate
Despite her close encounters with the humpback’s altruism, Hauser knew why some people were skeptical about it. Some people believed that they are just romanticizing the incident. “If it hadn’t been me, if it hadn’t been filmed in three different angles, I wouldn’t believe it. I tried a lot not to anthropomorphize any of the behavior that I see. It’s easy to do, but it’s not a good practice in science,” Hauser explained during the NPR interview.
Hauser’s Fate
Protecting Each-Other
Although they are not quite sure what the actions truly mean to the whale, Hauser knows that she will never forget about the experience. After all, role reversals must not be that common in the field: “I’ve spent years protecting whales, and in the moment, I didn’t even realize that they were protecting me.”
Protecting Each Other
Altruism At Its Truest
“There is a published scientific paper about humpbacks protecting other species of animals, by Robert Pitman. For instance, they hide seals under their pectoral fins to protect them from killer whales. They truly display altruism – sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives,” Ms. Hauser said in reference to Pitman’s earlier works.
Altruism At Its Truest
Keep Your Distance
However, it is important to note that Hauser still does not recommend approaching humpbacks for no valid reason. When asked why that is, the scientist cited from her personal experience. “I never touch the whales that I study unless they are sick or stranded on the beach,” she answered. “In my head, I was a bit amused since I write rules and regulations about whale harassment – and here I was being harassed by a whale.”
Keep Your Distance
Looking Into The Future
Many biologists are now hoping to share the footage that Hauser and her colleagues were able to capture on that day. They believed the footages can help them take their whale research to a whole new level. They believe that the documentation can also help spread awareness about whale behavior to other parts of the globe.
Looking Into The Future
Battered And Bruised
Even though Nan did make it out of the water unharmed, she did carry some battle wounds with her. From all the shoving and battering around, Hauser came out with scratches and bruises from the giant whale’s barnacles. But it was all the result of the whale trying to protect her from genuine danger.
Battered And Bruised
Killed By A Whale
Understanding the danger of the line of work that Nan Hauser is involved in, it would only make sense that she would find herself in a frightening encounter. “I’ve always said I’d be killed by a whale,” she once half-joked. This day made her realize that it wasn’t a far-fetched idea.
Killed By A Whale
Some Doubt
Despite this entire ordeal, there is still a part in Hauser that makes her wonder if she was truly in danger or not. “Maybe the shark wasn’t going to attack me,” she said, “but he [the whale] was trying to save my life.” One thing was certain, the whale was determined to keep her safe.
Some Doubt
Other Doubts
A number of marine biologists have made their opinions known, expressing their uncertainty about whether the whale acted out of instinct or not. But Nan Hauser came to the floor and shared her own thoughts on the matter. “I’m a scientist, and if anyone told me this story, I wouldn’t believe it.” But seeing as she had the firsthand experience, perhaps it’s her right to make that call.
Other Doubts
Getting Attention
It wasn’t only the experts who were interested in her unbelievable story, the media wanted to hear all about it. Even individuals who had heard about the incident came forward to find out more. She recalls how her phone didn’t stop ringing, but she was willing to speak to whoever wished to interview her.
Getting Attention
Going Viral
The footage of the rare occurrence started to run on social media and it wasn’t long before Andrew Pershing, chief scientific officer at the Gulf of Maine Marine Research Institute, saw it. Seeing as he was a professional in marine research, he had something to say on the matter.
Going Viral
A Professional’s View
Pershing was completely taken aback, and said, “To have something like that happen with cameras in the water, that’s really extraordinary.” He understands the risks involved in conducting such research, but applauds Hauser’s work and her exemplary reputation.
A Professionals View
Another Expert
Not everyone was as impressed as Andrew Pershing was. James Sulikowski, who is a marine biologist has studied tiger sharks for many years. He agrees that Nan Hauser had “an awesome experience,” but he still thinks it wasn’t what she claimed it was.
Another Expert
An Alternative Story
“The shark could have just been hanging around,” Sulikowski said. “There’s really no way of knowing the whale’s motivation.” But Hauser is convinced that it was exactly what she experienced it to be. After all, she was there herself.
An Alternative Story
Last Check
What really surprised Hauser was how the giant sea creature came to the surface after she had already been loaded into the boat safely. It surfaced about 20 feet away from her, “It was checking on me, making sure I was safe,” she said.
Last Check
Being Recognized
Nan Hauser has been recognized on a number of occasions for her excellent work. One such event was when she received a “Lifetime Achievement” award for wildlife conservation back in November 2014.
Being Recognized
Ambassadors
Hauser continues to be one of the most vicarious wildlife conservationists out there. Whether it be ocean pollution, whaling issues, or growing sustainable marine ecosystems, she’s on it. She aims to incorporate as much assistance as possible, even the assistance of famous figures.
Ambassadors
Paper Work
When she’s not dipping in the ocean, Hauser is busy working on her written work. Some of her published works that are available to the public are the following: “The Cook Islands Whale Sanctuary”, “Occurrence & Habitat Use of Humpback Whales in the Cook Islands”.
Paper Work
Satellite Tagging
As a way of keeping track of these ocean giants, Nan Hauser and her team carefully insert satellite tags in humpback whales to keep an eye on their migration patterns. The whales that they tag are a combination of different sizes and both genders.
Satellite Tagging
Other Whales
It’s not just humpback whales that have drawn her attention, she is also a keen expert on other whales, especially beaked whales. But she will always have a special place in her heart for humpback whales… maybe even one in particular.
Other Whales