There are many a viral video these days of white people calling the cops on Black people for no good reason. But the latest viral sensation has a twist: This woman in a boat called the cops on some whales. Yes, whales.
The family in the video was out boating on the Puget Sound in Washington when what many would consider a once-in-a-lifetime experience happened: A humpback whale cames right up to the little boat. “Look at this you guys, you’ll never see this again,” says Darren Lucianna from behind the camera in a since-deleted Facebook post, clearly awed by the experience.
https://twitter.com/_SJPeace_/status/1049431085405360128
Other people on the boat are less enthused. Seconds into the video, a young woman on the boat can be heard aggressively hyperventilating. Lucianna repeatedly tries to calm her, saying things like, “Relax, he’s checking us out,” as she can be heard crying off camera. Another woman off-camera can be heard saying, “We’re going to die!”
Things really go off the rails when another whale shows up, and one goes under the boat. The passengers start begging Lucianna to turn the motor on and get out of there (notably, putting the whales at risk of being hurt by the motor). Lucianna continues to try to calm the group, somehow the only person present who is really excited to be near whales.
“I’m calling 911,” a woman can be heard saying shakily. Moments later on the phone with a 911 operator, she describes the situation, saying, “There’s three gray whales under our boat. I’m afraid we might get flipped over, I’m really scared.” Lucianna’s son demands that they drive away, and he finally gives in and leaves the gentle water giants behind.
As the whales follow at a distance, one of them sends out a bunch of water from its blowhole. Lucianna gasps in awe and gleefully shouts, “Oh my god, it’s following us!”
“Stupid whales, they’re going to kill us!” sobs a woman on the boat. When the video ends, the woman from earlier is again describing the situation to police on the phone.
Since the video was originally uploaded by Lucianna to Facebook, we can only assume that no real acts of violence were committed by the whales. We’re not really sure what the woman wanted the police to do about the whales, which were existing in their natural habitat, but Whale Wendy might just be the new BBQ Becky.
H/T the Root