Friday, June 21, 2013

A Lady and Two Whales


It is said that people, be they real or fictional will do anything in the name of love. Romeo and Juliet made a death pact. Lancelot and Guenevere defied King Arthur and Camelot. Edward VIII turned his back on the throne of England to marry Wallis Simpson. And there's the lady who swam naked in freezing waters because she loves whales.

Natasha Navseenko, a Russian scientist and diver, dove into the White Sea, Northwest of Russia to tame two Beluga whales, named Matrena and Nilma. She swam au naturel because the whales are believed to be sensitive to anything artificial like fibers in clothing. Nevermind that the waters were minus 1.5 degrees centigrate. Natasha used yoga principles to withstand the cold.

Below are photos of Natasha and the Belugas.  I also provided a link to a dated news article about the story of Natasha and the whales. I thought that the unusual act of plunging naked into icy waters paled in significance compared to that  of training the Belugas while in captivity.


Source: dailymail.co.uk



Source: dailymail.co.uk


Source: dailymail.co.uk





Source: dailymail.co.uk




LINK:  
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2004042/Naked-female-scientist-tries-tame-beluga-whales-arctic.html



- ARIEL MURPHY


2 comments:

  1. Oh, what I would give to be able to read the mind of the Beluga whale!! Can you imagine the conversation between Matrena and Nilma when Natasha joined them?!? If whales have a word in their language for 'crazy'...I'm sure it got used a LOT in that encounter!

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  2. Amazing act in such extreme temperatures! Having been a Naturist/Nudist for over 40 years,and living in totally naturist communities for the last 10 years, I can say that everything feels better au naturel, but I also feel bad that the whales are transported to dolphinariums around the world. Thanks Ariel, Great story!

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