Music is one of life’s great pleasures.
It is a powerful force in life.
It has the ability to motivate us, pacify us, inspire us, and heal whatever tribulations we’ve ever faced. It possesses the ability to shape our lives. Our deepest memories are often accompanied by song. Being able to take it all in is a beautiful thing. But why limit the pleasure to humans alone?
Seemingly, animals also have the ability to tap into this happy place.
Just take Juno, for example—she’s a beluga whale at the aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.
Now, it’s a well-known fact that dolphins are highly intelligent creatures.
Their social lives are highly organized and emotional, and they communicate in amazing ways. But what about their aquatic cousins?
Juno recently got the concert of a lifetime when an aquarium visitor serenaded her on the violin.
And not only did she stick around, but she also gave the violinist her completely undivided attention!
In the video, a beautifully gifted musician strums up a moving piece on his violin.
It matches the vibe of the aquarium altogether – it’s slow, beautiful and melodic. All the while, Juno stares intently, completely captivated by the impromptu concert. It becomes clear that she is listening and attempting to decipher the music.
Communicating with humans isn’t completely far-fetched for Beluga whales.
There’s a somewhat famous tale about a whale named Noc (pronounced “no-see”) who was caught in the late 1970s by the Navy for training and research.
He spent virtually his entire life in captivity, eventually working in a top-secret Navy surveillance program. He bonded very closely with his trainers. So it was no surprise (or all the surprise) that one day Noc very clearly mimicked the human voice. He was attempting to communicate with his “family.”
Whales have the beautiful ability to use sound to understand the world in an almost human way.
Lori Marino, a cetacean intelligence specialist has this to say of them:
“Their brain brings things together, synthesizes and does complex processing in ways we obviously don’t understand yet. But it’s not as though we have this huge complex whale brain and no commensurately complex behavior. They are individuals. They have lives to lead and social relationships. They have families, and they have really good memories.”
Knowing this, perhaps Juno genuinely enjoyed her private aquarium concert!
Her suitor, a master violinist, was Paul Baker from the band Brigid’s Cross.
Brigid’s Cross is a successful band that’s been playing for 24 years.
The members are skilled at their craft, covering a wide variety of genres including rock, Celtic folk, and contemporary Irish music.
From the band’s website:
“Paul is the Master of Ceremonies, and a master violinist, to boot. He has been performing in bands for 39 years, and as a soloist, since he was a young child, and his talent and experience certainly shine.”
To witness the exchange between Baker and Juno is one that will certainly make you pause, and even tug on your heartstrings a bit.
The mutual adoration is evident, and they completely surpass the barrier of language!
Check out this beautiful marine concert experience for yourself in the video linked below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
