Saving Valentina - a Humpback Whale is cut free from fishing nets in the Sea of Cortez.
Saving Valentina - a Humpback Whale is cut free from fishing nets in the Sea of Cortez.
Saving Valentina - a Humpback Whale is cut free from fishing nets in the Sea of Cortez.
Saving Valentina - a Humpback Whale is cut free from fishing nets in the Sea of Cortez.

“As I swam alongside the animal, our eyes met. There were no words we could share, but I wanted to let the whale know that we were there to help.”

That’s Michael Fishbach who narrates a riveting rescue on the Sea of Cortez just outside Loreto, where they come across Valentina, a humpback whale “severely” caught in fishing nets. The animal could not move, and was fighting for survival.

As you can see in this video, Michael and his friends decide to help in dramatic fashion. The rescue involved some handy work, quick thinking, and even a swim next to the giant animal, which caused more than just a few nervous moments.

Thankfully, there is a happy ending. Quite remarkable actually. What does an inspiring story get you, aside from almost 500K views on YouTube, and 477 comments?

Turns out, you get an amazing show of thanks and celebration. Valentina breaches the water several times in a glorious exhibition that thrills her rescuers.

“We all believed it was a show of pure joy, if not thanks.”

“It was an incredible experience that none of us will ever forget.”

Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear