Interesting indeed, and I forgot all about this incident, when a whale helped humans.
Also for long, there were good books about whales in general, plus their songs etc.
Thus in a way, it surely is all also related to the fact, that humans tried to understand these animals with more respect.
And animals in general, that we find a relation to or remind us on ourselves.
Only, if we then stop eating animals, as veggies, its right, it is difficult to say, even for Buddhists, where the borderline is.
But this is not a veggie-thread then.
And it might not even be possible to find an answer that satisfies everybody.
For example, all the efforts for getting the bad reputation of and prejudices about the wolves repaired, they nevertheless, when free, can become a real threat again, even if not directly to humans, as lately feared in Wisconsin to my knowledge. Yet I learned to love them, knowing that without being hunted, they are lovely animals, that even tend to like humans very much. (Ever got a kiss from a wolf?) We could not have our dogs without this.
While infected animals with "Tollwut"(whats the english name for this?), no matter which one, is surely dangerous, not just the howlings around fullmoon, but the lack of control over murderous insticts, while the instincts itself are OK.
But they are a different story alltogether, since a whale is not a hunter in the same sense (or maybe some? Information, please).
And we should stop eating from nature alltogether in the last consequence? Could be after all. I am not yet sure. But we are a part of THIS planet's system and probably rather have to find out, in which way we humans in general are as much a threat to the global balance, even more than any animal maybe. Of course, I have to ask myself the same question.
My mum once said, that nature itself creates desasters to get rid of "too many" of us,
(in which way there will be no difference made between humans and animals and more either).
Thats also, what the Dalai Lama says his way.
It is a good sign, if we at least start with some respect for other creatures than just ourselves, and its a kind of natural psychological thing (no value thus, just a statement from experience) that we start with those, who either helped us or are somewhat close to us.
A position that talks about higher or not, is questionable for me and reaches far into traditional belief systems, thus manipulations and according prejudices on many sides.
What I can see, is this:
Who respects intuition in general, and wishes to come back(back?) is probably more pro animals in general, simply to learn from them to survive beyond too many words.
Thus, if there are some species, that have become of value via "teaching" us about undervalued and thus -developped functions, "we" may prefer/tend to protect them and thats maybe a simple sign of these times. That has nothing to do with racism, I rather tend to think, that its also a kind of racism, to put such ones down, who also just wish to learn and balance and live in peace with the rest of the creatures, where possible.
(My goodness, imagine now, Green Peace against dog eatings and cat eatings etc., and that may well be on the way)
All sides have their reasons, and they should be seen all the way round, as said before.
I know, its not easy, for no one. . .
