Here's a story that will make you proud to be a member of the Human Race.

The Joy of Gratitude (checked out to be true on www.snopes.com)

If you read the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday, Dec 14, 2005, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider 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 Farralone 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 bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her-a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

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 thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was 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.

Made my day.

I read that story before and it touched me then as it touches me now. This planet and all its creatures are really worth saving.

....MSNBC, CNN, and who knows who else interviewed the crew. The one guy who had cut the rope from the whales mouth said he still got goose bumps thinking about it.

but thank you SO much for this. I'm a fanatical animal lover and this did my heart good.

So it's OK to kill and eat them...



http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/2006-whale-meeting

to be one who believes that all life on earth is valuable-
What a beautiful reminder of how connected we really are- Sometimes I think people forget we're not the only beings on earth, or the only beings that 'emote'-
Thank you for this wonderful report-

peace,
blu

and may your blessing become reality for us all-

I'm gonna read this one to the kids.

Have watched Whalerider twice. Wonderful movie. We even bought the dvd for our Grandkids.

for the grands...)

"The Seventh Stream"-
It is based on 'myth'- but has so much to offer-
Also,
"The Secret of Rowan Inish"
and (more Selkie story)
"When the Whales Came"
(about Narwalhs)

I loved Whalerider too-
We can learn so much from other cultures-

peace,
blu

Thanks for the heads up!

Roan Inish you'll love the other two- we own them both- don't do cable. Good ex-rental vhs' are so much better than watching the 3 fuzzy channels we get. My kids can almost recite their favorite movies word for word-

Hope you find these movies- they really are good-

peace,
blu

Why can't humans be more like them?

Such a sweet story. So touching. Thanks for posting. :)

Jinx - you owe me a Coke :)

I guess several of us will have to share.

time some navy practices. But I love that story. I do. I need to hear it every 6 months.

Thank you for posting BlueJazz, nice start to the weekend.

Kicked and recommended!

:kick:

full SF article at
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/14/MNGNKG7Q0V1.DTL

What a whale of a story! :bounce:

beautiful story.

— more than at any time since the 1986 international moratorium banning the harvesting of whales (except a limited number for “scientific research”). But despite an early victory yesterday for environmentalists, the protection that most whales have enjoyed remains in danger: thanks to assiduous courting by Japan, new members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have steadily added their votes to those of the pro-whaling lobby, eroding support for the moratorium. At this year’s meeting of the commission in St Kitts, the ban has hung in the balance.

There will not be an immediate resumption of hunts that almost led to the extinction of the world’s largest mammals: Japan and its allies need a 75 per cent majority in the 70-member IWC before the whalers can again be launched and trading resumed in whale products. But a simple majority would be enough to allow the commission to issue statements supporting whaling, eject Greenpeace as an observer and increase the limits on the catch of minke and other species no longer considered endangered. It would also, as the anti-whaling activists fear, significantly weaken what has been seen as one of the most effective international conservation efforts.

-MORE-

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-2229925,00.html


********

Pro-whaling nations set to control commission

By Andrew Woodcock and Joe Churcher
PRO-whaling nations were expected last night to take control of the International Whaling Commission, giving them a majority of seats on the panel for the first time since it banned commercial hunting 20 years ago.

The expected shift comes after years of lobbying by Japan to get developing nations to join the IWC.

(snip)

Among the members are a number of countries with no coastline or history of whaling, such as Mongolia in central Asia and Mali in west Africa, which have joined recently amid claims of a recruitment drive by Japan.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=world-qqqm=world-qqqa=world-qqqid=6182-qqqx=1.asp

Man, that renews my faith in goodness.

Here is a post from Environment/Energy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x57049

Google news says that Japan lost first vote.

So maybe the people are talking to new reps at this meeting.

I read that story, felt good about it, forwarded it to my wife, then went back to reading the news...

Read this.



http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060616-whaling-japan.html

Might be a good time to write a check to Greenpeace...

Someone else may have posted this, but since I posted that downer of a message I want to post this anyway.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/17/whale17.xml

Thanks for posting.

creature - they will be blessed beyond belief. I hope Hollywood decides to do a movie on this and each and every one of these people get rich from it, although I think they have already been repaid by the whale herself in such a wonderful way.
On edit: K&R

Poor whale. I'm so glad she was rescued.

feel like there could be some kind of divine power out there and the interconnection of all creatures. Those whales have much to teach us, and we should listen. Thank you for sharing it.

I think it's well past the time we considered ourselves the only beings on earth that feel compassion and gratitiude.

K&R.

It's nice to hear some nice news for a change.

Thanks for sharing.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

:cry: real tears... emotional today! me.

then,

Each lesson in gratitude I receive is one to savor for like food it fills me.

this made me misty and made my heart swell with love and pride. So happy for that whale.

Highly recommended.

Snopes Link

:)

Next, let's untangle some Wolves and Bears from traffic: http://wolfsaga.blogspot.com/2006/05/home-on-range-corridor-for-wildlife.html

That truly is a wonderful story. I love to hear those. It really does help restore faith in humanity. Despite the fact that there are those out there who would have sooner said "Jackpot!" than considered helping the poor creature.

I think the whale knew that they were there to help. If it had thought otherwise (that the rescuers were predators coming to slay the catch), it would have likely been thrashing and attempting even harder to free itself. But no, she remained calm while the rescuers went about freeing her.

About a dozen snorklers got into the water 20 miles off shore after seeing a pod approaching. We gently entered the water and swam around as about 20-25 whales (actually part of the dolphin family) slowly moved thru. Many swam in groups of 2-3 with little ones in between.

I was approached by 3 whales--2 adults and a baby--while I was out on a flank. They were swimming right toward me just below the surface. The biggest one out there that day was coming at me, an 18-20 footer that I thought was going to hit me about 4-6' below the surface. Just before it got to me, it gently banked so that it's belly was within 2' of mine, as if to say "hello" and gently swam on, avoiding contact with me with its tail.

Experience of a lifetime for me. I'll never forget the feeling like it was enjoying the friendly encounter just like I did.