OT- unbound and free

[jedsoon]

I was literally "driven to tears" yesterday when i read this story. With all the good vibes we're feeling here right now, it seems appropriate to share. It's off topic, but i know at least one member here will have a special appreciation for it. This was written by my friend Katherine:

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If you read the front page story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.

Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that
she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her .... a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed
her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles.

She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and
nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was
following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love,
be so blessed and fortunate .
to be surrounded by people
who will help you get untangled
from the things that are binding you.
And, may you always know the joy
of giving and receiving gratitude.

Namaste my friends

[Grant]

Snopes confirms this. Except it was an american idol fan, not a humpback whale as reported.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Don't get me started on ocean conservation and wildlife. Seriously, I can go on for hours. (Did you know the Farallons are the one area of the U.S. one can reliably see white sharks? As such, it a protected area.)

Many scientists theorize dolphins in particular are way smarter than dogs. And yet they're slaughtered by the thousands in many countries. (Another fun fact: killer whales are the largest extant member of the dolphin family.)

I went down to the beach in Santa Monica tonight, it was just beautiful. Yet another thing I have to thank this forum for...got some great photos, too. Thanks for sharing, jedsoon.