Photo: Screenshots from Instagram

Is there anyone you would love to meet? And what if they were equally excited to meet you? This is exactly what happened to whale enthusiast Adam Ernster during a recent expedition in Baja, Mexico. After spending years documenting whales from afar, his dream of meeting the gentle giants finally came true. As much as he enjoyed the experience, it seems Margarita the whale was just as enthused, as she seemed to make happy noises throughout the encounter.

A video posted by Silver Shark Adventures shows a thrilled Ernster getting to pet, hug, and even kiss a whale. “When you are the one usually behind the camera, [and] finally getting your dream moment with one of the most special animals that you live to document,” the whale-watching company captioned the video. “Safe to say, everyone onboard enjoyed watching [Ernster] get his life changing moment in the sun with Margarita[,] one of the most friendly whales we have ever encountered on our adventures with the grey whales.”

In the footage, Ernster smiles wide as he pets Margarita, before going in for a hug and a handful of kisses on the whale's barnacle-covered head. As affecting as the video is, there is another perspective from the moment that reveals that the whale is having the time of her life as well. In a video posted to Reddit, the original footage features the noises made by the whale, which can only be described as a “cetacean purr.”

According to the National Ocean Service (NOS), whales make noise to communicate, locate food, and find each other. “The three main types of sounds made by whales are clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls,” the NOS explains. “Whistles and pulsed calls are used during social activities. Pulsed calls are more frequent and sound like squeaks, screams, and squawks to the human ear.” Additionally, in a study published by The Journal of Experimental Biology, marine biologist Sam Ridgway reveals that fellow marine mammals like dolphins and beluga whales make “victory squeals,” or child-like noises when they’re happy.

In the whale-watching videos, Margarita seems to love the rubs so much that she even goes back to Ernster. “Known for displaying friendly and unpredictable behaviors, Margarita decides to return for more attention just as Adam thinks this encounter is done,” the Silver Shark Adventures shares alongside a clip of Margarita going back to Ernster's side of the boat. The man is visibly emotional as he gets to interact with the whale once more and say goodbye.

Ernster, an experienced whale videographer, captured his encounter with a longer video he uploaded to YouTube. Looking back at the experience, he wrote, “This beautiful interaction is a stark contrast to the past, where these gentle creatures were hunted to near extinction. Today, they show a unique curiosity towards the very beings that once threatened their existence.” He adds that a lot of care goes into these encounters. “The locals involved in this highly regulated experience work hard to protect the whales and their habitats, ensuring the health and abundance of these magnificent creatures for generations to come.”

Ernster also appreciated the opportunity to share this love for whales with others. The  more that people are aware of their beauty and friendliness, the more that can be done for them and their habitats. “As incredible as my experience was with the gray whales of Ojo de Liebre, watching others connect with these giants from the depths filled me with so much hope for the future,” he stated. “I’m fortunate to get to spend my days surrounded by wildlife of all sorts. It’s a privilege I will never ever take for granted. But to see people travel from all walks of life, from all around the world to experience THIS connection was surreal. It makes me more and more thankful for this little blue ball everyday.”

Adam Ernster, a videographer and whale enthusiast, had his dream come true of getting up close to these gentle giants of the sea.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Silver Shark Adventures (@silversharkadventures)

The videos of the encounter not only shows how thrilled Ernster was to meet the whales…

 

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Una publicación compartida por Silver Shark Adventures (@silversharkadventures)

…but also captures the whale making happy sounds as she gets some pets, hugs, and kisses from Ernster.

Whale making sounds of joy
by u/user678990655 in interestingasfuck

Adam Ernster: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Whale Makes Sounds of Joy as It Gets Hugs and Kisses From Man Fulfilling Life-Long Dream of Meeting Them

Photo: Screenshot from TikTok

Thrifting can lead to some seriously impressive finds. For the luckiest buyers, selecting second-hand can mean landing a treasure that might not look like much but is worth hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. This was the case for a man named Justin Miller. In February 2023, the 33-year-old paid $50 for a vintage chair he found on Facebook Marketplace. Confident about his knack for spotting special items, he figured there was something about the chair—but the actual value of the piece could be higher than anyone expected.

Miller, who has years of experience as a design producer for TV shows, spends hours every day perusing Facebook Marketplace. One day, he saw a listing for a grand wingbacked chair. Figuring it could be worth some money due to its unique appearance, he did some research. According to the viral Tiktok in which he recounted the experience, a quick Google search revealed that it was a Frits Henningsen chair and similar pieces had sold for thousands of dollars.

The chair had been listed by a woman tasked with selling the unwanted items of a Beverly Hills couple in exchange for a part of the profits. While she initially set out to do a yard sale, a passerby informed her that sales of the kind weren't allowed in the neighborhood. Prioritizing getting rid of everything quickly over making big bucks, she listed the objects on Facebook Marketplace with a same-day pick-up.

Miller did ponder about disclosing the value of the chair with the seller, as he didn't want to feel like he was taking advantage of someone. However, the woman was completely aware of the chair's value. “This chair's worth a lot—just so you know,” she told him.

Since his apartment is too small for the chair, he took it to his storage unit and began the adventure of figuring out how much it could go for. “It would look so good in my home but money talks, so I'm selling it,” he said on TikTok. After his original findings, his followers brought up even more information about the chair. It turns out that only 50 pieces were made and actor Kirsten Dunst owns one—as seen on the Architectural Digest tour of her house. Miller had also said he was thinking of having the worn-out leather repaired but was told to wait until a valuator had taken a look at it, as a bad restoration could significantly decrease its value.

Miller then reached out to the auction house Sotheby's, who gave him a very promising response. The company wanted to feature it in its Important Design auction in June, which includes some iconic pieces of furniture from the last 100 years. Given the nature of the sale, Sotheby's doesn't know yet how much it would sell for, so it gave him an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000—hoping it would skew to the higher end given the rarity of the piece. However, just to be sure, it has a reserve set for $28,000, meaning that's the least it could go for. Following fees and taxes, Miller is hoping to get about 50% of the profits. For now, the biggest concern is getting it shipped to New York.

Some of his followers were skeptical about the tale as Miller had not shown pictures of the chair after the purchasing it, along with the incredible story. Well, he shut down all of those comments by posing with the piece for a video announcing the chair would ship to New York soon.

Asked about what he will do with his profits, he said, “It's not enough to buy a house or something big like that. I think I'm just gonna buy me something little to remember the experience, probably some home decor I have to have in my home, and then the rest I'll just put it in the bank.”

To stay up to date with Miller and any new developments regarding the famed chair, you can follow him on TikTok.

Justin Miller paid $50 for a vintage chair he found on Facebook Marketplace, thinking it could be worth some money due to its unique appearance.

@miztermiller Can’t believe I just found this amazing designer chair on Facebook Marketplace for $50! Could be worth $100,000 🙃 #homedecor #interiordesign #diy #homerenovation #thrifted #vintage #thrifthaul #facebookmarketplace #antiques ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) – CKay

According to the viral Tiktok in which he recounted the experience, a quick Google search revealed that it was a Frits Henningsen chair and similar pieces had sold for thousands of dollars.

@miztermiller Replying to @minnymau5 UPDATE on the $100k chair, and answering some questions! #homedecor #interiordesign #diy #homerenovation #thrifted #vintage #thrifthaul #facebookmarketplace #antiques #sothebys ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) – CKay

Miller then reached out to the auction house Sotheby's, who told him it wanted to feature the chair in its Important Design auction in June, which includes some iconic pieces of furniture from the last 100 years.

@miztermiller Replying to @v86b Answering all your burning questions about my infamous chair. #homedecor #interiordesign #diy #homerenovation #thrifted #vintage #antiques #sothebys #thrifthaul ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) – CKay

Sotheby's gave him an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000, hoping it would skew to the higher end given the rarity of the piece. However, just to be sure, it has a reserve set for $28,000—meaning that's the least it could go for.

@miztermiller Replying to @dazonic For everyone who thought I was lying about owning the chair, here ya go. She heads to NYC soon for June’s big auction! #homedecor #interiordesign #diy #thrifted #antiques #sothebys #thrifthaul ♬ Only You X Playdate – ded4$$

Mizter Justin Miller: TikTok
h/t: [Insider]

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READ: TikToker Pays $50 for a Rare Vintage Chair That Could Be Worth $50,000

Photo: Screenshot from Instagram

Netflix’s Wednesday became an instant hit when it dropped back in November 2022. While it captured the public's attention as a whole, a particular moment was so memorable that it took on a life of its own: the iconic Wednesday dance from the fourth episode. The quirky choreography went to inspire thousands of tributes and versions across multiple mediums, from a cosplayer nailing the dance to a figure skater presenting a Wednesday-inspired routine on ice. Now, an even more impressive recreation has caught our eye. Unlike the rest we've seen, this one takes place underwater.

Kristina Makushenko is a Miami-based freediver and underwater dancer. While most people associate these talents with synchronized swimming, Makushenko goes beyond, pushing the creative possibilities of choreography below the surface. After posting some seriously impressive routines, her fans called for her to recreate the Wednesday dance. The talented dancer went along with it, displaying her creativity and making the most out of this unique environment in a mesmerizing video. To make it easier for her followers to compare the results, the dancer posted her performance right under a clip of the original.

Since dancing underwater makes movements more fluid than they are on land, Makushenko's choreography looks even more dramatic and volatile than the original. Moreover, the gravity-defying quality of her setting allows the dancer to go deeper and bigger in the parts in which the character's knees are locked. The original dance was already quite theatrical, yet the underwater version goes even further.

Despite the clear abilities of Makushenko to recreate and push the choreography to the limit, the water can sometimes play against her. “This dress was [too] floaty, so I had some trouble moving in it,” she wrote on Instagram. The video features some cuts when the skirt of the dress has lost its shape so much so that it no longer resembles the one worn by Wednesday Addams. After having to stop several times to put it back down and adapting to a different pool than the one she regularly practices at, the dancer reported that it took her four hours to film this choreography.

Makushenko's effort definitely paid off. Not only is her performance impressive, but it quickly went viral and gained her a lot of praise. People in the comments not only compared her to a mermaid, but also praised her ability to move around in heels underwater, reminding others that everything done in a pool takes a lot more effort.

This is far from the only choreography Makushenko has tackled. She also offered her take on Rihanna's Super Bowl performance, as well recreating the creepy doll dance of M3GAN. On top of that, she has also recorded some mind-bending videos, like one in which she seems to walk up an invisible staircase.

To stay up to date with Mkusgeko and her underwater dancing, you can follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

This is Kristina Makushenko, a Miami-based freediver and underwater dancer.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Kristina Makushenko (@kristimakusha)

She performed an underwater rendition of the iconic Wednesday dance, and the result is mesmerizing.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Kristina Makushenko (@kristimakusha)

Makushenko has also  recreated Rihanna's Super Bowl performance…

 

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Una publicación compartida por Kristina Makushenko (@kristimakusha)

…and the creepy doll dance from M3GAN.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Kristina Makushenko (@kristimakusha)

Kristina Makushenko: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
h/t: [Upworthy]

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READ: Artistic Swimmer Recreates Wednesday’s Iconic Dance Routine Underwater

When you think of the most famous cellists of our time, cello masters like Yo-Yo Ma come to mind. But back in late January, an unexpected clip from a 2018 performance skyrocketed on Reddit’s r/toptalent that shared the prowess of Brannon Cho.

The post was titled “Brannon Cho playing Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, arguably the hardest cello piece ever.” Cho, who was only 24 years old at the time, is seen fervently playing the string instrument with incredible speed. The entire piece is about 40 minutes long, and as James M. Keller for the San Francisco Symphony describes, “the [cello] is active nearly throughout, with strikingly little time off.” It’s divided into three long movements. Each movement has a variety of tempos and showcases the wide range of capabilities the cello has.

The part of the clip that has surged in popularity is at the very end of the piece, which is also the most replayed portion of the performance on YouTube. Keller describes this portion: “The solo cello eventually intones a motif consisting of arpeggios. That marks the final sprint towards the finish line, by which point the cellist’s arpeggios have led to the stratosphere of the instrument’s range.”

As Cho alludes in his Instagram post, the cello-orchestra piece has a deep meaning that is rooted in Soviet Russia. “The oppressive Soviet regime inspired Soviet composers at the time to compose some of the most devilish, brutal writing for cello,” he says.

Scroll below to watch the clip of Cho finishing the incredible cello piece, as well as the full performance.

Back in late January, an unexpected clip from a 2018 performance skyrocketed on Reddit’s r/toptalent, sharing the prowess of Brannon Cho.

The Reddit post has garnered over 13,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments discussing his impeccable playing.

The entire piece is about 40 minutes long, and as James M. Keller for the San Francisco Symphony describes, “the [cello] is active nearly throughout, with strikingly little time off.”

Brannon Cho: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Watch a Young Cellist Successfully Complete One of the Hardest Cello Pieces Ever

A kindhearted man named Miguel Angel Escobar was in the right place at the right time. During a boat ride with his family in Utila, Honduras, he spotted a sea turtle that had become entangled in some tree roots on the beach. The scene was pretty heartbreaking, as the turtle lay motionless in the entanglement. Hoping there was still something that could be done to help the animal, he got off his boat for a closer inspection.

“I thought she was dead,” Escobar told The Dodo. “We felt such pity for her.” Although the turtle didn't move as Escobar and his family pulled the boat ashore, he and his female companion approached her. The man nudged the creature, hoping she would react. “When I touched her, she instantly let out a sigh and she started to move her head,” Escobar said.

Springing into action, Escobar told his kid to fetch him his bag, where he had a knife. In the meantime, the man tried breaking the roots with his bare hands, splitting a few branches, but not the main one holding the turtle back. All the while, the turtle let out big sighs and softly waved her flippers. Once Escobar had his knife, he began cutting the big branch, which had even begun to prod into the sea turtle's shell.

Even after cutting the root from both ends, the turtle remained stuck due to its thickness and the uncomfortable position she had been trapped in—her hind flippers were also stuck in some branches that were higher up. To finally free the heavy turtle from the complex entanglement, Escobar had no choice but to flip her. Despite the moments of desperation the turtle experienced as she laid belly up and flapping her limbs, it was reassuring to see she still had plenty of energy in her.

Escobar then dragged the turtle back to the water, and once they were in deep enough, the efforts of both man and turtle made it easy for the latter to turn around with a little push. The turtle had been freed, and began to swim so fast no one would believe she had been on the brink just moments earlier. “I thought that the turtle would need to rest on the shore and recover her strength,” Escobar said. “But she instantly swam away, strong and fast, like someone who was jumping for joy.”

Before speeding off to deeper waters, the turtle seemed to come back to the shore as if to thank her rescuers. Escobar's female companion, who recorded the whole operation, can be heard saying “How beautiful! She's alive! How pretty. [She has been] saved!” as the turtle finally swims away.

It is believed that the turtle had  swum ashore to lay her eggs and then got tangled up. Since the WWF considers most sea turtle species to be endangered, Escobar's work may have not only saved one turtle, but also helped a very fragile ecosystem. That's why it doesn't come as a surprise that he has been hailed as a “turtle hero” for his efforts. Ultimately, the turtle's rescue is a perfect example of how we never really know how far a good deed can go. “I feel happy to have helped her,” Escobar says. “It's a great feeling.”

A man named Miguel Angel Escobar spotted a turtle that was trapped in some tree roots. After realizing she was still alive, he sprung into action and freed her.

Hondureño rescata una enorme tortuga marina 🐢 en Utila, Islas de la Bahía. pic.twitter.com/0c3uXqLtSS

— 45TV (@45tv1) July 19, 2022

h/t: [The Dodo]

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READ: Man Rescues Trapped Sea Turtle That Became Tangled in Tree Roots on Her Way to Lay Eggs

Photo: Screenshot from Reddit

It’s not often we get to “see” sound. Perhaps we occasionally notice the digital waves in a voice recording, but watching sound happen—especially in real life—is a rarity. One classic physics experiment, however, allows us to do just that. Called Rubens Tube, or a standing wave flame tube, it displays the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure. A viral post on Reddit demonstrates what this looks like in practice using a Rubens Tube powered by a trumpet. The mesmerizing result is a spectacular display of scientific principles.

The physics experiment was created by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905. The setup involves a piece of pipe that has holes drilled along its top and is sealed on either end. One end is a propane tank (or other supply of flammable gas) and the other is the source of the sound. The pipe is then lit and a standing flame appears. When a sound is made—in this case, the trumpet plays—the oscillating pressure of the sound waves lets gas escape and shapes the sound curve.

The trumpet player shows how quickly sound waves change, and how the various notes in his tune play a role in manipulating the flame. It’s a reminder that even the smallest things in our world are incredible when you stop to consider the physics of it all.

Scroll down to see the trumpet Rubens Tube video that has gone viral as well as more videos featuring the experiment.

A classic physics experiment called Rubens Tube allows us to “see” sound. This viral trumpet performance demonstrates its principles.

Trumpeter shows us an incredible real world expression of audio waveforms
by u/Tchoupitoulas_Street in interestingasfuck

The physics experiment was created by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905. Here's an explanation of how it works and the setup.

This concept has been used in other musical settings.

The oscillating pressure of the sound waves lets gas escape and shapes the sound curve. It can look quite different depending on the sound being made at any given time.

h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Watch a Trumpeter Play Fire in a Classic Physics Experiments That Lets Us “See Sound”

Photo: Screenshot from TikTok

Potato peelers are common kitchen tools, and its design appears to be pretty intuitive. All you have to do is slide the blade down the surface of a vegetable to gently get rid of its skin. Despite sounding like a really simple process with a very basic tool, it looks like many of us have been missing out on the real potential of these utensils. A TikToker named Jenni (jenniabs), known for posting about dinner recipes and kitchen tools, has shared a trick regarding potato peelers that will blow your mind—and even save you some time in the kitchen.

In a video captioned, “Kitchen tools 101,” the cooking influencer asks viewers if they’ve ever wondered why potato peelers swivel back and forth. It turns out there’s functional reason for this. “You can not only go down but forward when you're peeling so that you can peel the entire thing super fast without having to actually lift up the peeler off of the vegetable,” she explains, as she swiftly peels an entire sweet potato in a matter of seconds.

“Do you peel the old school way like this? Or do you you swivel back and forth?” she asks her audience. The video has since gone viral, eliciting funny and amazed comments. “I've always gotten mad 'cause I thought mine was just always loose,” wrote one follower. Another said, “This is why we need cooking classes in high school!” Others pointed out that the swivel feature also makes it accessible for both right and left-handed people.

Some of her followers also raised their concerns about peeling something towards one's body or the dangers of accidentally slicing yourself, but she was quick to respond why it's nearly impossible. “You're never really lifting the blade off of the potato so you're not actually putting the blade in a position to cut you,” she explains, adding how doing it the “old school way” is more dangerous. “You put the blade up, you put it down, it gives you an opportunity to accidentally miss and cut your skin,” she states. Jenni then adds that if you're not confident enough to do it this way, you can also hold the potato down with a fork.

This is far from the only insightful video Jenni has shared on TikTok. She has posted a DIY sandwich bread recipe and some tips on how to shred chicken quickly, among other helpful tips and hacks for anyone who loves to cook. To stay up to date with her kitchen advice, you can follow Jenni on TikTok.

An insightful video posted to TikTok reveals a hack on how to use a potato peeler that will blow your mind—and even save you some time in the kitchen.

@jenniabs3 Did you know? #kitchengadgets ♬ original sound – Dinner Recipes | Kitchen Tools

Jenni, the original poster, also explained why it's nearly impossible to hurt yourself while following this advice.

@jenniabs3 Replying to @ouhhoh_ @jenniabs3 ♬ original sound – Dinner Recipes | Kitchen Tools

jenniabs: Website | TikTok
h/t: [Comic Sands]

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READ: TikToker Reveals Potato Peeler Hack to Make the Most Out of the Common Kitchen Tool

Photo: Diego Rhamon/INPE

Lightning rods are key to keeping our buildings safe from lightning strikes, but the fast and violent nature of this phenomenon makes it hard to see these devices in action with the naked eye. With technology on their side, two Brazilian scientists have managed to capture a thrilling lightning strike using a camera that snaps 40,000 frames per second, showing us how lightning makes its way down and the moment just before it meets the lightning rod.

The footage was captured by Marcelo M.F. Saba, a senior researcher at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and grad student Diego Rhamon R. da Silva. While we're used to see lightning coming down from the sky, the images depict a type of lightning bolts known as leaders rising from the top of the buildings, as if trying to meet thunderbolts from the storm halfway. These are not exclusive to lightning rods, as mountaintops, buildings, and other tall objects emit these charges. “Any person standing in an open area can similarly launch an upward connecting discharge from their head or shoulders and be injured by lightning even when not directly struck by it,” the lead researcher told The New York Times.

As for their historic footage, it depicts 31 of these discharges rising from the buildings in the area before the final strike. “The image was captured on a summer evening in São José dos Campos [in São Paulo state] while a negatively charged thunderbolt was nearing the ground at 370 km per second,” Saba explains. “When it was a few dozen meters from ground level, lightning rods and tall objects on the tops of nearby buildings produced positive upward discharges, competing to connect to the downward strike. The final image prior to the connection was obtained 25 millionths of a second before the lightning hit one of the buildings.”

In any storm, that's the moment when the clever design of lightning rods comes into play. Lightning rods are a copper or aluminum rod with wires connected to the ground, and they are installed at the highest point of a construction. While they can't prevent thunderbolts from hitting a certain building, they offer a safer route for it to make it to the ground by offering the path of least resistance. This protects the construction itself and its contents from the extremely high currents and voltages that come with the lightning.

While Saba and da Silva's footage shows plenty of rods in the area, the lightning struck at an unprotected point—a smokestack that was badly damaged according to images captured after the storm. “A flaw in the installation left the area unprotected. The impact of a 30,000-amp discharge did enormous damage,” Saba shared. This reminds us not only of the incredibly destructive power of lightning but also to make sure these devices are correctly set. And according to the researcher, there's no need for the rods to be pricier or more complex; they just have to be well installed. “There are standards that have to be followed by those installing lightning rods. That’s the best we can do for now.”

Two Brazilian scientists have managed to capture the moments before a lightning strike—and how lightning rods protect us from it—by using a camera that snaps 40,000 frames per second.

h/t: [The New York Times]

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READ: Video Shows the Moment Before Lightning Strikes and How Lightning Rods Work to Protect Us

Elephants have very playful and engaging personalities, which is often evident through their various encounters with humans. Sometimes they show it by interrupting a reporter during a TV broadcast or stopping to listen to a classical musician playing the piano. They never fail to surprise us with their charm and intelligence. Luckily, in Thailand, “elephant crossing” signs have been installed to protect these beautiful creatures from oncoming traffic. And thanks to their unique smarts, elephants have recognized the safety afforded to them by these signs and some have even taken advantage of it by taking their “sweet” time to cross the road and pick up a snack along the way.

In a series of videos posted by the Thai Elephant Documentary Channel on YouTube, elephants can be seen indulging on the sugar cane being transported by open-top trucks in the area. These majestic mammals have followed the same paths for centuries, and seemed to have somewhat assimilated when humans built roads that crossed their territory. However, accidents were bound to happen. To prevent further unnecessary collisions and injuries, the government marked the areas where elephants may roam to alert drivers. But clever as they are, elephants seemed to notice that vehicles were now slowing and stopping for them—including trucks carrying tons of freshly-cropped sugar cane, which they love to eat.

One video shows an elephant on the edge of the road, as if it's about to cross to the other side. Once it has spotted a truck carrying sugar cane, the elephant actually walks into the road, making drivers go around it at first, and then makes a full stop. The animal then gets close to the truck and steals a little bit of the delicious cargo. Probably familiar with the situation by now, the driver doesn't fight off the elephant, and even seems to wait as long as the elephant needs to steal a snack to prevent any accidents.

The video was also shared on Reddit, although mistakenly stating the location of the video as Cambodia. (AFP Thailand corrected this mislabeling of the location.) It earned over 120,000 upvotes, and come commenters even compared the elephants to a local mafia, shaking down locals and collecting their land tax. “Lmao animals straight taxing us now, fair enough,” one user said. Another stated that the whole ordeal makes for an interesting form of morning traffic. One thing's for certain: not many people around the world can say that they were delayed by an elephant picking up breakfast.

Making the most out of “elephant crossing” signs in Thailand, elephants walk into the road to steal a snack from trucks carrying sugar cane.

The Thai Elephant Documentary Channel on YouTube has shared several of this encounters, which the drivers don't seem to mind, as they seem to wait as long as the animal needs to prevent any accidents.

Thai Elephant Documentary Channel: YouTube
h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Watch an Elephant Take Advantage of an “Elephant Crossing” Sign in Thailand to Steal a Snack From a Truck

 

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A post shared by Francis Zuber (@franciszuber)

Being in the right place at the right time can be invaluable. In fact, it can completely change a person's life trajectory. This was recently made abundantly clear for two winter sports enthusiasts. Photographer Francis Zuber was skiing at Mount Baker in Washington with a headcam on when he noticed something odd. After doing a double take, he stopped and saw a snowboard moving in the snow. It was still attached to a man stuck upside down in the snow. Knowing he had to act quickly to save the snowboarder's life, Zuber began digging the man out with his hands. A now-viral video shows the dramatic rescue from Zuber's point of view.

“I caught this little flash of red out of the corner of my eye and I knew it was weird because we were out of bounds. Ski patrol wouldn't mark any terrain there,” Zuber recalled in an interview with KUOW. “So, it made me stop and take a second look back. And that's where I saw the salmon snowboard there, with the bright red graphic, going back and forth in the snow. And I knew that there was somebody trapped in the tree well, that they were still alive clearly, and that I needed to get to them as quickly as possible.”

The light, powdery snow that had recently fallen made it even more difficult moving uphill and getting closer to the snowboarder. “I basically had to claw my way through the snow,” Zuber says. The skier was then able to leverage himself up by grabbing the trapped man's snowboard. “He's nearly six feet tall, so I had to dig down about six feet to get to him.”

While in the video you can first hear Zuber asking the guy if he's ok and letting him know he was working on freeing him, the snowboarder, Ian Steger, later said he couldn't hear anything other than his own breathing. “He was letting me know he was coming up to me. I didn't hear any of that. It was complete darkness. I could only hear, you know, the sound of my own breathing,” Steger told ABC7.

First, Zuber freed the man's hands and after reaching his face, Zuber asked Steger if he could breathe, to which he replied affirmatively, and thanked Zuber from the moment he could speak again. At peace for a second, the skier reached out for his backpack to get a shovel, which made the removal of snow much easier. While the video cuts before Steger is completely unstuck, the snowboarder later shared a picture alongside Zuber on the mountain, days after the incident. In the caption, he calls him “my new brother” and thanks him for saving his life.

As for Zuber, he shared the video on Instagram as a cautionary tale, showing how even the most experienced snowboarders and skiers with the appropriate gear can face situations like this. “All I'll say for now is the mountains don't care how much skill or experience you have. They don't even care if you and your ski partners are doing everything right,” the skier wrote, recommending those who practice these sports to get training on what to do in situations like this. “I'm thankful I knew just enough to scrape by and perform a successful rescue. And always look out for each other out there.”

Francis Zuber was skiing when he noticed a stuck upside down in the snow. Knowing he had to act quickly to save the snowboarder's life, he quickly began digging the man out with his hands.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Francis Zuber (@franciszuber)

The snowboarder later shared a picture with Zuber on the mountain, days after the incident. In the caption, he calls him “my new brother” and thanks him for saving his life.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Ian Steger (@ian.steger)

Francis Zuber: Website | Instagram
Ian Steger: Instagram

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READ: Headcam Captures Skier Finding Snowboarder Stuck Head Down in the Snow and Saving His Life