Buddies with a whale... (OK, technically a really big dolphin)

Tevyes Dad said:

Ulysses Is one of the orcas at Sea World in San Diego. We went there around 11 years ago. There were many memorable moments there, but on our third day, I decided to sit down by the big glass viewing pane that looks into the Orca tank and take a break for a few minutes. We had been running around half the day and our next adventure wasn't for 45 minutes or so. There were other people there. Not lots, but I wasn't the only one there. I point this out because as soon as I sat down, Ulysses started swimming around the tank very fast doing barrel rolls on the far side of the tank. Every time around, when he passed me he would emit a high pitched call. Up to that time, I wasn't sure if he could see out but it sure seemed like it. I stood back up and moved closer to the middle of the pane. He stopped racing around and hovered there in front of me looking right at me. After a while in awe, I put my hand up to the glass and he put his nose right where my hand was. I moved my hand and he followed it with his nose. He was absolutely magnificent! I brought my hand down and he calmly swam back off in his tank. That was the end of my encounter but it was amazing. The other people who were there couldn't believe he had focused so intently on me. Neither could I. Must have looked like someone he knew.

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catsandchickens said:

Oh, that's amazing.    I love hearing these stories.  

I work as an animal behaviorist and have spent a lot of my life working with seals and sea lions, in particular in rescue of the same.

I find their personalities fascinating.  Seals, while much shyer and less communal than sea lions, have surprised me with their curiosity and desire to "figure humans out".  

Two summers ago one of the marine mammal rescue teams I work with rescued a baby harbor seal.  She was not only curious, she was very gregarious.  While with us she had her favorite staff members (she would look for us every day and wonder where we were on our days off); she learned to growl a few words her way, which sounded like "Good Morning"; "Bye" and she copied the truck back up sound (every day we had fish delivered, and the truck backed up to our building, she related the back up sound to her breakfast and would growl it out while looking around to make sure we heard it).

She was tagged before being released and has been spotted along the Atlantic coast.  Part of our work is to track our rescued seals for research and as well to be sure they are okay out there.  

Whenever I see little Penny she comes up to the boat and swims with me for a while.  If on land she'll rest near me, but I can't touch her.  She knows she's a wild seal, but she remembers her "friends".

Stories such as yours and mine regarding Marine Mammals are everywhere.  They are very intelligent, social, and have great survival skills.  

I'm sure your orca had a reason for attracting your attention.  It shows they have social skills that are not unlike humans and other mammals.  

Treasure your encounter, hopefully you'll go back and see him again someday.  

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b.hromada said:

They are very intelligent animals.   Its just sad that they have to stay forever locked up.   

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catsandchickens said:

Oh, that's amazing. I love hearing these stories.

I work as an animal behaviorist and have spent a lot of my life working with seals and sea lions, in particular in rescue of the same.

I find their personalities fascinating. Seals, while much shyer and less communal than sea lions, have surprised me with their curiosity and desire to "figure humans out".

Two summers ago one of the marine mammal rescue teams I work with rescued a baby harbor seal. She was not only curious, she was very gregarious. While with us she had her favorite staff members (she would look for us every day and wonder where we were on our days off); she learned to growl a few words her way, which sounded like "Good Morning"; "Bye" and she copied the truck back up sound (every day we had fish delivered, and the truck backed up to our building, she related the back up sound to her breakfast and would growl it out while looking around to make sure we heard it).

She was tagged before being released and has been spotted along the Atlantic coast. Part of our work is to track our rescued seals for research and as well to be sure they are okay out there.

Whenever I see little Penny she comes up to the boat and swims with me for a while. If on land she'll rest near me, but I can't touch her. She knows she's a wild seal, but she remembers her "friends".

Stories such as yours and mine regarding Marine Mammals are everywhere. They are very intelligent, social, and have great survival skills.

I'm sure your orca had a reason for attracting your attention. It shows they have social skills that are not unlike humans and other mammals.

Treasure your encounter, hopefully you'll go back and see him again someday.

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Tevyes Dad said:

That was definitely treasured (why I remember his name after 11 years)!  It would be interesting to go back for sure.

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