“ I knew there was a fortune I could well be killed by this whale , ” whale scientist Nan Hauser can be heard enjoin in an consultation withBBC Earth . Hauser was remember an strange and shocking coming upon between herself , a humpback giant , and a tiger shark .

While it sounds like the cast of a “ walks into a cake ” joke , her super up - shut down - and - personal streamlet - in with the overprotective hulk was really quite shuddery . While take on location off Rarotonga in the Cook Islands , Hauser had been swimming towards two humpback whale whales when one file at her .

Whales , often cogitate of as gentle giants , are extremely powerful beast whose fins are lined with razor - shrill barnacles . As such , being hug by one is logistically complex if you do n’t wish to be squashed or spiralized . In the case of Hauser , the whale seemed inferno - bent on tucking her under its pectoral louvre .

Fearing for her life story , thing only get scarier as thehumpback whalehoisted her out of the piddle on its back and was refusing to permit her get forth . When she finally did get some space , the motivation for the humpback ’s bizarre behavior became clear .

In the length , she could see what wait like two hulk , one of which was smacking its tail against the water . On close inspection , she could see that the second giant was move curiously , with its thoracic fins gather in and its prat swishing side to side or else of up and down .

It was at this point Hauser gain she was looking at the biggest tiger shark she ’d ever seen .

“ I ’ve spent my entire life underwater and I ’ve see plenty of tiger sharks , ” she explained . “ This was like a hand truck . This was a vast Panthera tigris shark and it was coming right for me . ”

It ’s Hauser ’s belief that the heavyweight was trying to get her under its louver to protect her . While we ca n’t yet speak Whale   — yet — this motivation to pull through her life seems to be corroborate as its last action mechanism was to get her on its back and ferry her back to the sauceboat .

“ I still to this twenty-four hours ca n’t think it happened and being a scientist it ’s even harder , ” she said . “ If someone told me this story , I would n’t believe them . ”

Humpbacks areknown to exhibit altruism , a behavioral trait where you do something for another individual that in no way benefits you .   Hauser ’s story is an impeccable instance   as the whale put itself in the firing line to protect a human .

Quite the hero then , and surprisingly Hauser have to be reunited with her rescuer one twelvemonth and 15 days after the event . She was radioed that a whale had swum into the area , and after boating out to see it Hauser recognized its tail fluke had two notches on it , just like the one that saved her liveliness .

“ And then next I knew the heavyweight came up next to the side of the gravy holder , " said Hauser . " He ignored everyone else on the boat and he stared directly at me … I looked at him and I see a scar on his head and I just screamed ‘ he ’s back I ca n’t believe it he ’s back ! ’ and for certain enough there he was .

“ I just whipped on my wetskin and slide   [ into the ] piss and I swam down next to him and he opened his eyes and he just looked at me and kept nudge me … It was like seeing your dog that you have n’t visualise in six months . ” At 27 - 33 tons , that ’s one hell of a snuggle .

Hauser stay in   Rarotonga and hopes she gets to see her cetaceous chum again . " I escape him , " she said . " I signify , who misses a whale ? "