【Deborah Driggs Archives】

A narwhal has been adopted by a pod of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River,Deborah Driggs Archives according to CBC, and please be warned, the wholesomeness of this story may be completely overwhelming.

The narwhal has been spotted in the same area for the past three years, according to Whales Online, over 1,000 kilometers south from its typical range — narwhals are typically found in the arctic, near countries like Canada and Russia.

But now, it appears that the lone narwhal has become a full fledged member of a beluga posse (or pod if you want to be scientific).

A video of the unlikely friend group was filmed by the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) in early August, but has just now begun to gain some traction online.

The narwhal participates in all of the regular beluga activities and appears to have gained complete acceptance amongst the belugas. "It behaves like it was one of the boys," Robert Michaud, GREMM's president and scientific director told CBC News.

Though the friendship seems unlikely, Martin Nweeia, a researcher and narwhal expert at Harvard University says he doesn't think we should be too surprised.

"I don't think it should surprise people," Nweeia told CBC News. "I think it shows … the compassion and the openness of other species to welcome another member that may not look or act the same. And maybe that's a good lesson for everyone."

Agreed!

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