Why Did These Sperm Whales Adopt a Disfigured Dolphin?

Kellie Jaeger is associated with Discover.

"A Pod's Bond" was originally published in the Sept/Oct 2022, issue of our magazine.

I gripped the side of the boat to make sure I knew what to do. The engine died as we rose to the top of the swell. Go, go, go!

I dropped with my friend into the ocean. The boat was gone. There was no one else with us. I felt a sense of relief as I floated above the water. All I could think about was waiting and hoping. There was a big shape on the edge of my vision. As they headed towards me, the shapes became more distinct. The largest predator on the planet is the fearsome hero of the most famous seafaring novel of literary history.