KEALAKEKUA BAY — It was another morning Derrick Carvalho just planned to relax at Kealakekua Bay when he spotted something peculiar. Something was swimming in circles offshore, struggling to stay afloat.
Upon further examination, he was surprised to spot a bewildered boar, fighting to keep its flailing body above the surface.
It didn’t seem like there was much fight left in the animal, either. Crashing around 75 feet from shore, at times only its snout poked above surface.
“It looked tired,” Carvalho said.
Jim and Jane Pittenger, visiting from Florence, Oregon, were next to happen on the scene. And what they saw Wednesday morning alarmed them.
“Clearly disoriented,” Jim said the boar’s head sunk lower with each turn. When the boar tried to swim toward land, it retreated, seemingly afraid of the surf. There were also times when its whole head was under water.
“There’s nothing like watching an animal slowly drown,” Jim said. “It’s such a sad and pathetic experience, getting sadder and sadder.”
That’s when local artist Tamara Tavernier, also known as Rainbow, joined the beach crowd around 7:30 a.m., a half hour or so after Carvalho first noticed the animal.
Carvalho, who knew Rainbow as an avid swimmer from the area, asked if she could save it. After viewing the boar through binoculars, Rainbow swam out with a rope, approaching the animal head on. Jim worried that Rainbow would not be able to swim to the rescue in time.
Upon her approach, the boar thrashed and backed away in fear. That’s when Rainbow opted for a second strategy, circling behind the boar and imitating a shark by charging at it with speed.
“It looked like she was very clear with what she was doing,” Jim said.
Jane, an amateur photographer, snapped photos of the rescue.
“He was more scared of me than the surf,” Rainbow recounted. “I made myself the biggest fear.”
As Rainbow rushed through the water close behind the animal, the boar swam to the rocks on the shoreline. Jim, Jane, and Carvalho greeted Rainbow and the boar with applause as they reached dry land, after which the animal promptly scurried into the brush.
“Without a word of thanks,” Jim joked.
Rainbow said this was not the first animal she’s saved, reporting rescues of turtles, a dolphin, and a shark from nets and fishing lines in the past.
“I would save anything. With animals, I have no fear,” Rainbow said. “I felt good after. It’s always good to save a life.”
But, why rescue a destructive animal? Let it drown, then roast it. The meat will already be salted.
People have an amazing attitude towards animals. They save a feral pig and then go home and eat lau lau pork. Although, to be fair, I imagine “Rainbow” might be a vegetarian.
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to want to rescue an animal that is terrified and suffering. I think nearly all people who eat meat would still want animals not to suffer. I doubt it is as simple as meat-eaters are in favor of animal suffering whereas vegetarians are not. As you say, some people do have “an amazing attitude toward animals.” Thank goodness they do. I applaud her compassion and her actions.
Wow, did you interview the boar to find out if it was terrified and suffering? Maybe it was swimming and the people on shore spooked it so it couldn’t come back in. Well I know for a fact she is a vegetarian but one good does not make things right. I doubt you know many farmers out here, the pigs are a problem for many mac nut farmers as they eat the crop and they multiply like crazy. Now that the pig is “saved”, its fate could be getting poisoned, shot and maimed, getting caught in a trap, mauled by dogs, run over by cars, maybe dying in the water might have been the most humane thing to do…then roast it.
Yeah, I understand. Now, when will we see you at the local slaughterhouse trying to save terrified and suffering animals?
Please come to my farm – I have lost all my citrus, probably over 100 banana plants, and on top of that, having to go to physical therapy for 3 months because I stepped in a hole while carrying a 50 pound bag of feed – all this caused by feral pigs rooting up my farm. Ask my daughter how much she enjoys spending her weekends picking up rocks dug up by those terrified animals. Ask how she felt when she found a neighbors dog on our property with its stomach torn open by the tusks of a boar and intestines laying next to it. Now ask – did many of us appreciate this touching story of a person that saved a drowning pig that will recover to dig up someone else’s farm – something they rely on for money and food.
I was unaware of the extent of the economic and other issues associated with the boars and I thank the other readers for helping me see that. I understand animals are slaughtered for all kinds of reasons — for being pests, for food, etc. I merely hope that it is done humanely. I am genuinely sorry for the pain and trouble you have been caused and I even can see Pest Outwest’s point about the brutality of the natural world. I am not so sure about the need to interview the boar (per Dakine Kona). I think I am sure a drowning animal is terrified and suffering. No need to conduct a focus group on that. My only point was, I wish the death of an animal, and for that matter a human, could be limited in the suffering involved. I honestly would rather have the pig’s brains blown out instantly by a shotgun than have it die drowning. For those of you who need to kill boars, please get them on the first shot! End it instantly please.
Well said Liza
Nice job, Tamara!
She will be rewarded by Kamapua’a.
Maybe you should ask about her to DOCARE or NOAA. She is famous.
I’m interested in how feral pigs are managed. We have wildlife problems with bear, elk, deer, coyotes and bobcats on our farm in Oregon. Over the years we have learned how to prevent/reduce the damage/danger. What is the protocol for feral pigs? Feral goats? Jim pittenger using jane’s Account
Why you being rude Hitomi K. Miyoshi? She’s not anymore famous than you.
So? That’s good! Now people know about us. But maybe you don’t know what we do with local communities, right? We just do right things for Hawai’i. You guys are very childish… Aloha
OMG this is supposed to be front page news? Again the West Hawaii Today strikes with lack of investigative journalism into this issue. Did you ask them why they were there in the first place, I don’t think it was innocent as wanting to go for a swim…
Quite an uproar this article has created! So, if the boar had drowned in the bay, might that bring in sharks? And would the dolphin escape come in if sharks were feeding? It would have been torture watching it drown
This story is a hard one. Tamara is renowned for hanging onto dolphins and going for a ride, for chasing away swimmers that are messing with “her” dolphins, and for “singing” loudly to call the dolphins to her. Now, because she has rescued a pig which will be digging up every yard in Napo’opo’o and tearing up the landscaping, she is a hero?
Lets get something straight here. I’m an Australian and my wife and I stayed at the bay for a long holiday a year ago. We enjoyed the bay and made friends with many locals who like us enjoyed swimming there. Tamara AKA rainbow was one of this group of friends and we have been in the water with her many times. At first I found her singing strange but after seeing how the dolphins obviously knew her and had no problem with it why the hell should I care. She does not go for “rides” on dolphins and as for chasing away people the only time I saw her do anything like that is when she bailed up a woman who kept trying to grab a dolphin and I have done the same thing myself when I have seen people break the rules. I also saw her explain to a guy that grabbing a turtle for a ride was not OK. I am an ex soldier and can make hard choices but if you think I would stand on a shore and watch an animal drown in terror when I could help it you don’t know me. More power to her I say and people need to stop bitching about others and think about the word PONO and what it really means. And oh-yes-yes-yes if you are upset that Rainbows singing is drawing dolphins away from you to her then invest in singing lessons as the dolphins might be trying to tell you something
Well, my dear, I said the article was a hard one. No, I do not think that I would want the boar to drown though I have had to shoot many in my orchard due to the destruction that they have done.
As to your memories of Rainbow and those of the local community, they are at odds.
Further, that she and you are swimming with the dolphins at all is at odds with my belief system. I am not at all concerned that she is singing them away from me, I am concerned that the dolphins have no down time. I have lived on this island more years than most, including those born here, and I can tell you for a fact that swimming with dolphins has had an impact on these creatures.
Further, I have seen video of Rainbow touching dolphins with her fins and her hands and I have seen her chase people that she thinks are interfering with “her” dolphins though their distance was more respectful than hers. I have seen her herd her dolphins to chase them to the people like you that she likes.
If you know your history you would be aware that Captain Cook died at the bay and as an Aussie this is of interest to me and I swam to the monument most days to enjoy the natural aquarium and monuments site. As an award winning conservationist and photographer I am well aware of the problems involved in managing wild dolphins but at the same time it also amazes me that your island tolerates and promotes captive dolphin shows so easily. I am having a bit of a chuckle at the moment as while I was there I
watched video of the lady who has commented below harassing dolphins so I
suspect some attacks are based more on Jealousy especially from some of the people that are making money from retreat groups offering wild dolphin experiences for personal profit. I saw these groups and was far from impressed by their behaviour towards the animals. If rainbow is a strong enough swimmer that she can “Herd” whole pods of wild dolphins about the bay at will perhaps you should stop complaining and get her into your Olympic swimming team!
Mr Russel Constable,
With all due respect allow me to share with you some information as your so called “friends” may not have explained to you about some facts and issues that you may not have been aware of and to warn you, as a matter of courtesy, just in case, you are thinking about coming to the islands to do what you did again.
Fact #1
Hawaiian spinner dolphins are nocturnal. The Hawaiian spinner dolphins hunt at night and come to the bays with sandy bottoms to rest during the day as the uniform sandy bottom provides less noise for echolocation to detect predators as they let one side of their brain sleep as the other side sleeps (kind of like migratory birds), so, although the dolphins may appear to be moving they could be sleeping. Research has found that Hawaiian spinner dolphins displaced from these bays are less likely to get sleep elsewhere and that the population is suffering.
Fact #2
There is a law, the Marine Mammal Protection Act stating that “any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance which has the potential to disturb a marine mammal… You and your friends may have violated this law, based on your statement, it seems that Tamara’s singing has an effect of attracting the dolphins to her which could be considered something that disrupts their natural behavior. Would it be okay to share this information with some researchers and officers I know, it would be very helpful.
Fact #3
A new law or update to the current legislation will be coming some time this year so what you did with Rainbow and the friends you made at the bay will be enforced and prosecuted. If you plan on coming back for the dolphins, I would not recommend it, instead, there are so many other wonderful things that this beautiful island has to offer. With more and more people coming to the islands thinking that they can swim with wild dolphins, it has come to this.
As you may have saw during your visit, conservation is always a challenge when people are not educated to know what they do can have an adverse effect on marine life. Hope you used oxybenzone free reef safe sunblock when you went swimming to the monument. We have spent countless hours educating visitors to our beaches but it is still not enough and this is why the law is changing to stop this.
The issue here is not something petty about jealousy about who attracts dolphins, it’s about conservation, you only got a glimpse of Rainbow’s day, have you asked what she does with the rest of the day? She literally does this all day at various bays.
I really do not know you and I don’t think you know our island very well either. This issue is divisive and the people that make money from retreats are a problem as it is illegal in state and county parks for them to make money. All I can say is that we’re working on it and the captive dolphin show is something that is on the to do list but how did you personally eradicate dolphin shows in Australia, if we could perhaps use the same approach we may be able to eradicate it from our island.
Would someone saving a dingo from drowning be front page news in the paper in Australia? Or for that matter, if you saw a terrified rat drowning would you save it?
Dakine Kona if you think that I for a minute believe that the comments I have responded to have not been motivated by petty Jealousy you must think me foolish. Go and read the story, a person gets asked to help an animal in distress and does the kind thing and you guys hover around like vultures on a carcass looking for every opportunity to drive a knife into her with claims that border on the ridiculous (single swimmer herding pods of wild dolphins). I will be back to Hawaii and I will do a ton of stuff as I always do (primarily photography). You know why I love Hawaii…because most Hawaiians haven’t lost their Aloha like you have. As for me saving Dingoes and rats from drowning mate I have done both of those things during flash floods because I draw no pleasure from seeing animals die in terror and neither does rainbow obviously. You seem to think dingoes are a pest animal to which I would suggest you read a little more about them. Two of my friends have pet dingoes and they are amazing animals. Personally if you think letting an animal drown in terror is “Humane” I feel a little sorry for you and hope you find your Aloha again soon.
Russell, If swimming with wild dolphins is ok, then why aren’t you swimming at Shark Bay in Australia? If it is not ok there, then why do you come here? The thing is swimming with dolphins is not ok. It changes their behavior and affects rates of reproduction.
I am not in the least jealous of you or any other dolphin swimmers such as Rainbow. Some of us choose not to swim in the bays when dolphins are present because we respect the dolphins right to rest and socialize with its own species, undisturbed. I have seen their behavior before this crazy invasion and I see their behavior now. It is not the same. What you and your friends are doing is harassment pure and simple.
If you care about Hawai’i and its creatures you will better educate yourself through speaking to people who do more than hang at the beaches all day long and/or make their money by holding dolphin adventure tours.
There was a time not too long ago that the spinner dolphins were undisturbed 90% or more of the day. Now they are disturbed as much as 95% of the time that they are in the bays.
In my mind, it is a stronger, kinder, and more respectful person who does not enter their waters while they are resting. You have accused me of petty jealousy and in the past I have been accused of being afraid of swimming with the dolphins. This is so silly. Can you not accept that many here find that bothering wild animals is unacceptable? Just as you would not allow a pig to drown and find no pleasure in seeing animals die in terror, we find no pleasure is seeing animals have their life’s energy sucked from them day after day after day.
You don’t even sound like you’re from Hawaii oh_yes_yes_yes…Lol! Where’s your aloha? Recognize that she spared a life of an animal. Hawaiians support all life.
Where is your ALOHA? Who is your Hawaiian friends? Which community? What do you think local people try to protect dolphins about twenty years ago? Show your respect. It is time to protect nature. IT IS NOT NOT TIME FOR PROTECT SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS.
Yes, I am Hawaiian. Nuff said. I know what I know.
??
hmmmmm, Ignoring the personal attack and moving on.
“Hawaiians support all life” is a statement that would be hard to defend. I see Hawaiians hunting pigs, goats, fish, and sometimes even turtles, but this is not the topic.
I realize that my view is fairly “hard” in that I am willing to judge that some animals are more destructive and feel that the world might be better off without them. Do you kill centipedes, ants, rats? You are making the same judgements and then the discussion becomes one of culture. I come from a farming community, animals have jobs as do we. We work hard to provide for our families and when animals, in this case wild pigs, are destructive of our work, we kill them. That is a decision not taken lightly and brings no joy.
At the same time, I defend the dolphins’ right to rest during the day so that their livelihood is not jeopardized by insensitive people without jobs, but rather with “lifestyles” When did animal lovers decide that it was alright to judge me for protecting livelihood, and at the same time to take the livelihood of the spinner dolphin?
And who made you the dolphin police? My concern is that you’re bashing this woman and judging her like you are having issue with me doing with you. You can dish it out but now don’t like the attention brought on you.
I made me the dolphin police. Made myself a badge which I wear proudly. I arrest and jail people who think that they are above the law and/or who dish it out to me. I’m way too thin-skinned to allow you to dish it to me, so watch out, or you’ll be in jail soon….
You’ll be charged if you keep that up, Hitomi. Stop writing on two different accounts. Lol!
Russell Constable don’t be fooled by oh_yes_yes_yes, this is not her island and she is just defending her own conjured up battle to save the dolphins. She does not represent the native population. Continue to appreciate the island and the animals in and out of the water. As a Hawaiian, as long as you respect the land, the water and all that is Hawaii, you are pono. However, when one begins to harass, lie and create negativity that is ‘a’ole pono (not proper). Mahalo
Like you I am sad to see the ugliness in comments from some people here Narno. Basically they have taken a story about compassion and used it as an opportunity to air their ugly complaints about someone. Max Frisch once said “jealousy is the fear of compassion” and that pretty much sums up the behaviour we are seeing. Wonderful Hawaiian legends teach against jealousy and show merit in compassion but such lessons are wasted on foolish jealous people. One only has to understand the lesson in the story of Ohi’a and Lehua and their treatment at the hands of Pele to know what is pono and what is ‘a’ole pono. Mahalo for your words Narno, Maholo for reminding me of the goodness of the people of Hawaii.
Yes, it saddens me too but I don’t believe it’s “some people” making comments. I believe it’s one person presenting as many because they have the same attitude and tone. As you can see I’ve exchanged words with two individuals of which I believe is the same. One threatened me with jail, which is laughable, but it made it clear that the individual is not from the island. She clearly does not know our laws (U.S.) and therefore her threat of jail is frivolous. So, continue to honor our island with great respect.
Mahalo.
Could check my FB page or YouTube page? I want to see dolphins next 50 years…or more at same place. Why people want to chase the dolphins? You don’t chase your cats, dogs, or other wild animals. It is same thing for HAWAIIAN SPINNER DOLPHINS, Nai’ia. BECAUSE THEY FEED AT NIGHT AND REST/SLEEP DURING THE DAY IN THE BAY. It is not same behavior as other dolphins. Do you think singing is good for them? Why? Do you want to here when you sleepy, somebody singing next to you and try to play with you? What do you think if somebody come to your house and chase your pets? Chasing dolphins is same thing. Why dolphins are okay for chase? Because they can runaway themselves? The bay is like a aquarium now. Every day same people there, singing to dolphins same song. It is same as training dolphins every time they come to the bay.
Lol! Good one Russell Constable