Part II: “Ariel” by paulnicklen Paul was making his slow ascent, lungs screaming for air after capturing the shot of a lifetime—a mother sperm whale resting vertically in the water column with her calf. But as he reached the surface, the calf, Ariel, twirled up to greet him. She swam close, rolling and swatting her tail playfully, before opening her mouth and moving in. Paul obliged, accepting his new role as “chew toy.” Before he knew it, he was staring down Ariel’s throat. Her tactile tongue flopped around as she clicked her echolocation. Now fully between Ariel’s massive jaws, Paul looked around and noticed that she had no teeth. He burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation: He was being gummed by a baby sperm whale! Paul glanced at the mother below, wondering how she felt about this interaction. She was still resting peacefully, seemingly content that her calf had found a babysitter. Then, just as he was about to run out of breath, Ariel let him go. He felt like th...