Nan Hauser

The question of danger is very real.

When I first started working with them underwater, I was pretty scared.

You don't realize how big they are until you're right up next to them.

You do have to be really careful because each one has their own personality.

Some will be more curious and some will be a little more aggressive, especially the juvenile males.

This animal came towards me and it was huge.

It was this dark figure coming straight at me.

He didn't stop.

He just kept coming.

And it wasn't like he was coming slowly.

He was coming full speed ahead.

I put my hand out to cushion the blow.

My grandmother was 103 and she always used to say to me, please don't be swallowed by a whale.

And here I am, you know, right on his mouth.

All he has to do is open his mouth.

My family immigrated from Europe and I grew up on a Quaker wildlife preserve on the top of a mountain in Pennsylvania.

I spent, luckily and very happily, my childhood in nature rehabilitating animals and loving every minute of it.

Ever since I could walk, I would watch the whales blow off the reef and see them out there.

And I was so fascinated by whales.

And they also had dolphins around that I fell in love with.