Amazing Rescue: Beluga Whale Saves Diver

beluga whale and diver photo
Image: Flickr, Travlinman43

A young diver in China owes her life to a Beluga Whale, like the one pictured above. Belugas have an affinity for humans, but Mila the whale took the relationship to a new level at the Polar Land Aquarium in Harbin, North East China. Yang Yun was competing in a free-dive competition there, hoping to land a job training whales. As one of seven finalists, Yang intended to dive as deep as she could in the icy water of the aquarium's tanks without any diving gear. As she ran out of breath and prepared to resurface, leg cramps prevented her ascent.

The young woman began to sink, unable to fight the greater negative bouyancy of the deeper water. The whales Mila and her companion Nicola somehow sensed the urgency of the situation. Mila gripped the diver's leg in her mouth and pushed Yang to the surface. Two videos overleaf show the news: one with stills of the underwater rescue interspersed with narrative of the compelling drama set to calming whale calls and a second as broadcast in an English-language Asia Brief.

Video: YouTube, Humanswin

This video shows the amazing scene as Mila grasps Yang Yun's leg. Belugas have very small teeth, so Yang emerged unscathed from her unique rescue. The video will bring a smile to your face, we promise.

Video: YouTube, NTDTV