A Whale of a Tale

 Almost 25 years ago, the world's attention was rapt on three gray whales stranded by encroaching sea ice off the coast of Alaska and the effort to free them.

Dave Withrow, a marine mammal biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was called in to help with the rescue, which had to contend with frigid temperatures, persistently freezing ice and coordinating a wide range of groups that wanted to help with the effort.Withrow spoke about his experiences during the rescue, called Operation Breakthrough" in a recent NOAA interview.

Miracle Mermaids History

Should reports of mermaids be classified as folklore expressing aspects of the human condition or is the mythical element around their existence merely our attempt to explain the origin and existence of something very real? Many people theorize humans created mermaids to try to understand their existence as both an animal and something entirely different.

Mermaids have a mixed reputation. Some reported their unearthly beauty, others feared them as a sign of bad luck.