Diving guide’s special bond with sperm whale captured on camera

Spectacular images taken last weekend near the Caribbean island Dominica show just how close Andrew Armour, a diving guide, is able to get to Scar, a 10-year-old male.

In one picture a large group of ‘socialising’ whales come together while in another they arrive in a perfectly formed procession.

The images show how over the course of a decade Scar became comfortable enough with Mr Armour to allow him to stroke and gracefully swim alongside the 32-foot mammal.

Mr Armour, 45, from Dominica, said: “Our bond began in 2000 when my wife Rhona found him injured out at sea when he was just a calf. We think he might have been attacked by pilot whales but we are not sure.

“His head and dorsal fin were injured and he came to our boat, perhaps seeking some comfort. The most we could do was pet him and his injuries left him with some scarring.

“From then on he and another young female would approach us whenever they saw our boat. We could even call him over.

“Now he recognises me when I am swimming. I feel like he even knows my voice. I can get very close with him because we trust each other. I even clean lice off him and he lets me do it.

“Other whales in the area don’t tend to stay in the same place when humans are around but Scar seeks interaction and seems to enjoy being petted.”  Read Article