Golden Retriever Mix Comes Face-To-Face With Humpback Whales & Gets Oh-So Curious About Them
There are few wildlife encounters that can match the rush of seeing a whale surface mere feet from you out on the open ocean. Whether it's a thunderous splash of a breaching humpback or the quiet awe of watching one effortlessly swim up to the side of the boat, whale watching has a way of making everyday occurrences at sea feel extraordinary. But on one close encounter chronicled on YouTube, the most curious passenger wasn't a person; it was a golden retriever mix who came face-to-face with two humpback whales who seemed equally as curious about the situation!
"Two humpback whales fall in love with my dog!" is the title of the video posted by a content creator who owns a whale watching business, with the caption adding that there's nothing the dog "loves more than when these gentle giants come over to investigate his excited barking!" And indeed, the pup is seen barking over the water as the whales come right up to the boat and hang around.
Cuteness reached out to certified dog behaviorist and trainer Russell Hartstein of Fun Paw Care for his take on the interaction from the dog's perspective. "I certainly would not say the dog 'loves' the whales or the interaction. It's difficult to tell from these edited videos without being there. However, hearing the dog's frenetic barking and observing his behavior and body language, it's apparent the dog is excessively aroused. Whether that's from the whales or the parents screaming and their energy, or a mix thereof, is difficult to tell," Hartstein exclusively tells us. If nothing else, it's safe to say that everyone was captivated!
What might whales really think of dogs?
Dogs and humpback whales interacting is truly rare, as these two creatures live in two totally different earthly realms. But in an instance like the one chronicled on YouTube, what might a whale actually be thinking and understanding about seeing a dog?
Cuteness asked marine biologist and educational content creator Kristyn Plancarte about the interaction between the golden retriever mix and humpback whales and how much the whales might have really understood. "I think it was less a case of affection and more just general curiosity," Plancarte exclusively tells us. "Whales are incredibly intelligent and curious animals, and this was probably their first time ever seeing a dog."
The humpbacks certainly hung around quite a while next to the boat — for 90 minutes, according to the video — occasionally swimming right up within touching distance, even as the dog barked directly at them. The lack of concern by the whales when it came to the barking is easily explained by Plancarte: "The barking didn't bother the whales at all; honestly, they probably couldn't hear it. Their ears are underwater, and if you think about when you're swimming underwater, you can't really hear what's going on above water, and whales are more sensitive to lower frequencies than the frequencies dogs and even humans can make." In addition to the decibel level of a barking dog not even registering with whales, the enormous ocean creatures really don't have anything to worry about in terms of size when it comes to whale versus dog to begin with! Interested in more interspecies interactions? Check out this prairie dog and cat that are a "legendary duo" of best friends.