Do whales in real life act like they do in movies?
Have whalers literally been attacked by sperm whales? Have some people developed relationships with whales?
I watched In the Heart of the Sea, which is basically the story of Moby Dick, and am wondering if any kind of whale would actually act this way. There are plenty of whale movies where they give the animal some kind of human trait. Not just revenge, but friendship too, as seen in a movie called The Tadpole and the Whale. Or again in Orca, in which a killer whale seeks to fight it out with a guy who killed his female partner and baby.
I heard sperm whales have big brains, that killer whales are extremely smart, and so forth. But how true to life are whale movies? Have people taken territorial whale behaviors, kin protection and adaptation too far, as is always the case with movies? Or is there some truth?
If I’m to get a hint at this question from the millions of shark movies I’ve seen, then whales on the big screen are probably bs, too. But one wonders…generally, whale movies are more thought out than your typical horror movie involving sharks.
That I think Moby Dick has more honor than any man alive, it got me wondering. Whether it’s revenge, friendship or whatever else, do whales, any type, actually act like they do in movies?
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If you understand the basis of the story / movie, then you should also know that this is the “real life” story on which Moby Dick is based. That is: it happened. So, yeah, at least one time a whaling ship was attacked by a sperm whale.
I’ve had them come up to the boat for food, then like dophins, swim alongside for hours. They seem to be good-humored beasts. I had a whale shark approach and nudge me, then purposely slide up against me when it passed. He hung around for awhile, got bored and split.
The most amazing sealife I’ve encountered were old, giant groupers. Feed the beasts once and their your friend for the rest of the day. They’ll follow you back up to the boat for another tank, wait for you to change the old one out, and hang right by your side until you go back up again. They’ll even remember you the next day. Some are the length of an adult human and weigh 3 – 400 pounds. No other fish acts like these. They act like dogs. I don’t eat them anymore because of this.
Turtles are interesting, too.
@Espiritus_Corvus Wow, that’s cool. That kind of experience must be somethng else. I want to see some whales up close.
It is cool. I think Hawaii Jake would know how to make that happen for you. Wherever there are whales in the water, there are whale watcher boat tours and dive tours.
A nice vacation would be anyplace on the west coast of Mexico with the word Ballena or Ballenas in the name. There are places down there where the balleen whale goes to calve their young and use protected bays to nurse them until they are ready to travel. These are good places to swim with the whales. They are surprisingly intelligent and affectionate. They come alongside your dinghy to get petted and when you do, a shiver radiates from your hand out along the length of their body. They are huge, but very sensitive in every way.
After meeting one, you’d really have to be a bit of a strange person to be able to kill one. I don’t think many of the guys working on the whaling ships have ever actually petted one. If they had, there wouldn’t be much of a whaling industry.
@Espiritus_Corvus Keep in mind that whaling was done primarily to supply the need for lamp oil. People didn’t (and some still don’t) think that killing whales was so much of a bad thing as it was a money making job and the whales were supposedly put there by “God” for Man to utilize.
I’m well aware of the history, kritiper. I’m also well aware that since the advent of kerosene, 2.9 million have been harvested by the industry. Last year’s tally included 276 pregnant females. Census shows that they are not able to sustain their numbers under present conditions, so you better hurry up, Berserker.
Sperm whales & Seamen…bound to have a sticky end
I am hoping soon to go to Baja California for the whale encounter trips. There is a bay where gray whales come to calve every February and they are so used to the small groups of people that come that some will swim up to the boats to be petted or hold up their babies. Can’t wait!
As @CWOTUS said, In the Heart of the Sea was non-fiction based on the wreck of the Essex so some RL whale attacks have happened. And then there was the Nantaucket sleigh ride where a whale would take off with several harpoons attached to whalers in their boat on the other end. I don’t think one can blame the whale at all in that case.
Again, orcas have killed trainers at Sea World and other places but again, this is a situation of extreme stress.
In the end, I guess you’d have to say “It’s complicated.”
When I first read your question, I thought to myself – there are some prima donna whales that thrive on the attention (sort of like a whale Kardashian), but that most whales act like normal cetaceans and don’t put on airs.
Then I figured out you meant – how whales are portrayed on film versus how they act in ‘real life’.
@Espiritus_Corvus Sorry. You didn’t put any specific time context into your answer I responded to so had to assume you meant before the advent of kerosene when “Heart of the Sea” takes place.
No, no. Anytime anybody here references history, I’m happy. History is important. The stat actually reads “2,9 million whales were harvested from 1900 to 1999”, which is long after the replacement of whale oil with kerosene in the home.
Another interesting stat is that only 300,000 whales were harvested under sail in the 200 years from 1700ce to 1900ce, but it took only until 1940 to match that figure under powered vessels (this is all out of Scripts Institute, San Diego, but it is disputed by the Wildlife Conservation Society as a figure much too low. They argue that it is impossible to count the whales that were mortally wounded and got away).
But that shows how less destructive the old time industry was. This is counter-intuitive because there was such a common household need for whale bone and oil and a large part of the histories and economies of so many places like San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, New Bedford, Honolulu, Fairbanks, etc., during this period. So many families, still in existence today, owe their initial fortunes to whale. But in reality, the industry was much, much smaller than it is today.
The good news is that the harvesting is minute compared to what it was between 1950 and 1970. But it is still unsustainable.
I don’t know if whales can be aggressive. If the story is to believed, at least one has been. However, I do love whales. I’ve previously told my story here of going whale watching and of a humpback whale coming right next to the boat and looking up at us. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I’ve had. This whale looking up at us, looking down at him/her. Just beautiful.
I bought tickets to go whale watching just yesterday. There was a special deal on so I’m taking my daughters and husband. I can’t wait!
When I was over your way, we took a sea plane over to Vancouver Island. We saw a pod of orcas. The pilot flew lower and circled them so we could get a really good look. Such a special and unexpected joy.
Does no one ever view any of my links?
Above are videos of aggressive whales, and fun whales.
@Tropical_Willie It would appear the boaters provoked it by getting too close to it. I like how it just kind of went, hey you guys, just fuck off man. Also the person who took the picture, talk about good timing.
@Here2_4 I looked at them. In fact I think the second vido is the same whale from @Tropical_Willie‘s article. And the video where they free the humpback from nets; that was amazing.
No, mine is a killer whale. @Tropical_Willie had a right whale, ick, all bumpy and stuff (the whale. I’ve never seen Willie.)
Anyway, thanks for viewing.
Yes, the rescue was beautiful. That was one freakin’ happy whale at the end.
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