Feel-good news story: You have a friend in me

Every so often you hear about a beached whale and it's sad. Yesterday I heard a news story on the radio about pygmy sperm whales in New Zealand that were saved - rescued - by an unlikely hero.

Moko.

Moko is a dolphin. He's well known by locals and seen often swimming in this particular area.

The human rescuers had all but given up - the two whales weren't budging and from what I understand the sandbars were so numerous that even if they were freed from one, chances are they'd beach again unless they knew the way.

Enter Moko.

He knows the way out.

The whales were about to give up when Moko the bottlenose dolphin came in, did all his dolphin chirps and squeels, and all of a sudden, both whales "woke up", listening to him for a minute, and made one last valiant effort to save themselves. And they moved! But, the sandbars were still a problem. So Moko, the good little dolphin, showed them the way out! I guess he literally swam this way, took a right, swam that way in between two sandbars, etc. until he was out to sea with the whales right on his...heels (flippers?). AMAZING!

This quote is great: "I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin," Mr Smith told the BBC, "but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea."

Moko, the altruistic dolphin.

Now, don't you just feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

In return for his help, Mr. Smith went into the water and gave Moko a nice pat. Awww...