People forget wild animals are dangerous. The ignorance and lack of common sense about nature is staggering. But that’s what we get from a movement that equates the beasts as being morally equivalent to human beings.

Uh huh.

NormanF on July 26, 2010 at 1:12 pm

I don’t think the whale attacked. It did what whales do. Come up for a breath of air. They’re mammals and don’t use gills, they have lungs. They’re huge and definitely dangerous. They can’t see well at all and it probably didn’t realize the yacht was there. But saying it “attacked” for the libs, makes it seem as if it was “harassed” and just fought back to protect “its” habitat from a “predator” otherwise known as a human.

mk750 on July 26, 2010 at 1:18 pm

“CBS News anchor Katie Couric and many other mainstream media outlets are claiming the whale was “harassed.” ”

Only sort of. What Couric said is that “a South African news outlet 1. reported that the couple were being 2. investigated for 3. possibly harrassing the whale.”

If you missed those three qualifiers (reported, investigated, possibly), then you can rightfully claim that you didn’t spin the story. Was Couric trying to insinuate something, as oppose to claim something? Most probably. But if so, that’s what you should’ve said.

Phil on July 26, 2010 at 1:36 pm

Katie Couric is a yenta, who was on her way to being canned because she’s a deer-in-the headlights as a network anchor. That it, the until less than lucid Sarah Palin revived her career. Is it over yet?

patrick on July 26, 2010 at 5:02 pm

So I guess Moby Dick is another book in the “Western Canon” that could not be written, or at least, could not be published by a major publisher, today.

Is Animal Planet really an adequate substitute for Melville?

Little Al on July 26, 2010 at 5:04 pm

I hate whales. What the hell do they do for the ecosystem anyways? Eat up plankton that smaller creatures could consume? I say kill all the whales.

Maliki on July 26, 2010 at 10:20 pm

I don’t believe they harassed the whale. They didn’t deliberately tease or bother it.

Miranda Rose Smith on July 27, 2010 at 2:29 am

I defy anyone to view this clip and not fall over laughing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxobYjfgtrQ

Daniel H on July 27, 2010 at 4:23 am

“I hate whales”. Didnt you see the Star Trek movie where the only beings on this planet that could talk an alien life force out of destroying the earth was a whale? Do you also remember in that same movie they said nuclear power was dangerous? I guess the people of Vermont didnt see the movie. Vermont gets more of its power from nukes than any other state in the union. They have a Communist Senator so I guess they can do and say whatever they want.

Barry on July 27, 2010 at 10:29 am

Thankfully, something important to command our attention.

Look! The whale CHASED after them like a dog who’s happy to see someone. It was just like your dog jumping up on you when you get home from work! : ) That was likey a full-body tackle whale-hug. Sheesh.

Maybe it just wanted to play. That boat looks like it would be fun to play with or ride on. A novelty in the normally boring water. The whale is swimming after it thinking, “WHOO HOOO!”

Maybe the whale is a preschooler learning to control his impulses and he told his mom, “Look what I can do!” right before he took off after the boat.

Maybe it’s a teenager who was showing off to the other whales. Maybe they were making a YT “jackass” video & the whole thing was a dare or other hot whales needed impressing.

But haven’t we been taught that these majestic animals are more brilliant & moral than humans? It was most likely designated by the other whales to be the ocean greeting ambassador but he tripped on a wave.

If a handicapped child had been aboard, surely the whale would have chosen to gently glide along side of the craft and simply wave a flipper.

This whale could be getting slandered. THAT should be addressed by the animal rights groups. Furthermore, Cass Sunstein should immediately appoint an attorney to represent the whale and/or its group.

I’m sure the whales are conducting a full investigation about what happened and will submit their report to Cass soon.

Why didn’t Katie at least act like a responsible journalist & schedule an interview with a whale behavioral psychologist or whale whisperer so we can get to the bottom of this?

Now everything is at a standstill!

Aurora on July 27, 2010 at 12:41 pm

Katie hasn’t been normal since she returned from Saudi Arabia (or one of those other lovely places where women are so well respected, cough cough) with that schmata on her head and proclaiming proudly how she bought an alarm clock for her kids to wake them up for school when it plays the muzzie call for prayer.

And, to even mildly insinuate that these nice people who obviously have a lot of experience sailing purposely “harassed” a whale is a serious indication that the world is being taken over by alien communists and people who did too much dope in the 1960’s. Did anyone interview the whale? Animals just do things instinctively, and get spooked without any provocation whatsoever. Since when is Katie and the rest of these Bellevue escapees a zoologist or a marine biologist that they are able to make such ridiculous accusations from a knowledgeable and intelligent point of view? Are normal people going to be afraid to sail from now on because they might be accused of harassing a squid or something?

Debbie Washington Hts. Girl on July 27, 2010 at 1:09 pm

Almost as funny as that video where the bullfighter got gored by the horn in his throat that came out his mouth. I do love it when animals get revenge!

maatkare on July 29, 2010 at 2:43 am

What would Madame Couric know about whales? She is an overpaid, urban reporter of pablum.

Dimitri Sevastopoulo on August 3, 2010 at 10:36 pm

I bet just before the whale jumped the boat he told his buddies, “Hey y’all, hold my beer and watch this!”

Richard on March 31, 2011 at 6:13 pm