On the surface, the sensational rumor of “man swallowed alive” spread by the media across channels. Other boats sped toward the spectacle, fishermen eager to glimpse tragedy. Spotlights and cameras buzzed with curiosity. The sea became a stage, but Nathaniel’s survival depended on whether anyone would understand the real script unfolding.
The whales pressed deeper into open water, their pod moving with synchronized precision. To an onlooker above, it might’ve looked like evasion. The research crew strained to keep sight, engines whining as they pushed their small vessel harder. The coastguard boat flanked them, radar sweeping as though tracking submarines in hostile territory.