
Beluga whale retrieves cell phone, returns it to tourist [video] - evo_9
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/WOW-CAUGHT-ON-CAMERA-Beluga-whale-retrieves-cell-phone-509709511.html
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quirkot
And the tourist didn't throw it again? At least one of these two knows how to
play fetch

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kodz4
Thats awesome. Reminded me of the Russian Beluga story
[https://www.livescience.com/65359-beluga-whale-russian-
spy.h...](https://www.livescience.com/65359-beluga-whale-russian-spy.html)

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jacobush
From what I understand, it's the same whale. (Not joking.)

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Spare_account
Where/how did you gain this understanding?

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runeb
This specific whale is famous in Norway

Edit: Found an English article on it here
[https://www.newsinenglish.no/2019/05/03/white-whale-now-
name...](https://www.newsinenglish.no/2019/05/03/white-whale-now-named-
hvaldimir/)

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codezero
It’s a bummer an animal was used the way he was, but very pleasant the locals
have embraced him :)

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jeremydeanlakey
More direct link without all the ads and clutter:

[https://www.instagram.com/p/BxFlIZpAT7a/?utm_source=ig_embed](https://www.instagram.com/p/BxFlIZpAT7a/?utm_source=ig_embed)

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amiga-workbench
"Keep your plastic trash out of my ocean!"

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towb
I want one! D: No but... Not sure I could stay in the boat if this happened,
there's something with these animals that makes you want to be in there with
them. Head says "it's snowing and freezing cold..." body just dives in.

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redder2
And the human instinct is immediately commercialize it with some group that is
probably going out and filing lawsuits on some kids reposing this, its just a
guess I do now nothing about them ...

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wallace_f
The instinct to want to help seems normal, natural; and examples such as this
even seem to serve as a tool for reflection for the face of the modern state
of humanity.

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lm28469
[https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Anthropomorphism](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Anthropomorphism)

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w0utert
I always wonder why it sometimes seems that any kind of animal behavior that
resembles human behavior needs to be rationalized away as anthropomorphism. Is
it really that far-fetched to assume animals share at least some emotions and
behaviors with humans?

In the end, many forms of human behavior and emotions evolved over a long long
time, and way before language and culture. Why could a Beluga whale not have
also evolved behavior and emotions resembling altruism, for example?

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lm28469
I'm sure some animals have behaviours similar to our altruism. I just don't
buy that particular example as a proof of :

> The instinct to want to help seems normal, natural; and examples such as
> this even seem to serve as a tool for reflection for the face of the modern
> state of humanity.

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w0utert
Fair enough, that statement may indeed be overreaching a bit ;-)

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usrusr
But which brand of waterproof smartphone is it? There's a bug in the viral ad.

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jacobush
iPhone

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PaulHoule
I bet it is trained to do that sort of thing.

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runeb
It is! It has been trained by (probably) the Russian Navy. It escaped and now
lives in Norway.

[https://www.newsinenglish.no/2019/05/03/white-whale-now-
name...](https://www.newsinenglish.no/2019/05/03/white-whale-now-named-
hvaldimir/)

