Many people would never imagine that someone outside a water park can make a 30-foot whale do anything they want, so meet the one who can.
This incredible footage from the Caribbean shows Andrew “Whale Whisperer” Armour, known as “whale whisperer,” using hand signals and vocalizations to guide an enormous sperm whale in spinning – and the animal dutifully responds.
The footage was captured by part-time underwater photographer Scott Belt while on one of Andrew’s tours in February.
“It’s a pleasure to work with such elegant creatures,” said Andrew, who operates whale-watching excursions from Roseau in Dominica.
“The fact that I had them spinning and getting them to do so is simply from my idea that they should also be enjoying the interaction, which is what makes what I do so successful.”
“These creatures have spent a lot of time on the west coast of Dominica. This means I’ve had plenty of contact with these whales since I started swimming with them in the early 1990s.
“It is a pleasure to have worked with these sperm whales for the benefit of my clients who want to interact with them.”
According to a 52-year-old attorney named Scott, he believes this may have been “a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and he found it “unbelievable.”
“I was really stunned by what I was seeing and capturing on film; there was no pre-arranged strategy for the guide to try to get the whale to react,” he added.
It was amazing to watch the whale’s reaction to being guided about by spinning along with the guide.
“I’m guessing this is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, and I’m pleased that I was there to see it in person and record it on film.”
