In October 2020, whale biologist Nan Hauser was swimming off the coast of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific when a 50,000-pound humpback whale began pushing her through the water. At first she thought the whale was attacking her. It tucked her under its pectoral fin, pushed her with its head, and at one point lifted her partially out of the water.
Not an Attack -- A Shield
After about ten minutes of being moved by this massive animal, Hauser saw what the whale had apparently seen the entire time: a large tiger shark circling nearby. The whale had been positioning itself between Hauser and the shark, using its own body as a barrier.
Hauser, who has studied whale behaviour for nearly 30 years, said afterward: "I've spent 28 years underwater with whales, and have never had a whale so forceful or insistent. The whale knew exactly what it was doing."
Similar incidents have been documented elsewhere. In 2017 off the coast of California, a pod of dolphins formed a protective ring around a group of swimmers when a great white shark was spotted nearby. In Australia, surfers have reported dolphins swimming between them and circling sharks.
Creation's Built-In Compassion
Marine biologists call this "altruistic behaviour" and debate whether it's instinct, learned behaviour, or something else entirely. But the pattern is consistent: large marine mammals have repeatedly intervened to protect humans from predators, often at potential risk to themselves.
Whatever the scientific explanation, the result is the same. A creature with no obligation to a human chose to stand between her and death. A 50,000-pound shield.
What This Means for You
You don't have to be a whale biologist to recognise the pattern. Something in creation responds to vulnerability. Call it instinct, call it design, call it divine compassion wired into the natural world -- the outcome is a woman who is alive because a whale chose to protect her. If creation itself can demonstrate that kind of fierce, unasked-for protection, how much more the Creator?