Whale Stays by Trapped Buddy Until She's Rescued

Shortly into a whale-watching trip off the coast of Nova Scotia Sunday, tour guides learned of a whale in distress. The humpback, known as Foggy, was tangled up in fishing line and couldn't lift her tail, so Pirate's Cove Whale and Seabird Cruises called the Campobello Whale Rescue Team. When the team of volunteers arrived, Foggy was no longer moving—but she had a friend by her side, another humpback known as Grommet, who refused to leave as rescuers worked to free Foggy, the Chronicle Herald reports.

At first, rescuers were worried. "Sometimes other whales do interfere thinking we’re going to do more harm than good," one of the volunteer rescuers explains. But Grommet was patient for 45 minutes, and as soon as Foggy was finally loose, Grommet performed a spectacular jump. It certainly seemed as if "she was pleased to see her buddy free," says the rescuer. Adds one of the tour guides on Facebook, "I will challenge anyone who claims that humans are the only intelligent, empathetic animals. Grommet never left Foggy’s side." (A new smartphone app could help keep whales safe.)