Whale watchers in Puget Sound last week had an opportunity to watch National Geographic up close and personal. While watching a gray whale in the sound nearly 30 tourists on a whale watching charter saw a group of killer whales attack the whale. The killer whales hammered it from below and then dove with it as it tried to escape. When the whale resurfaced, belly up, the killer whales hit it again from below. Finally the gray whale limped toward shore and the attacking killer whales didn't follow.

When everyone thought the event was finished another pair of killer whales targeted the wounded whale, but the quick thinking captain of the charter positioned the boat to deter another attack.

That started me thinking. If a boat captain can step in and stop nature from occurring, then can't the rest of us do the same? Next time one of us happens upon a wolf attacking an elk, can't we just aim our truck at the attacking wolf and deter the attack? Or what if we see a mountain lion preying on a whitetail? Is it OK to fire a couple of warning shots over the bow of the cat to stop the attack? Who draws the line with Mother Nature?

Somehow I don't think those antics would be met with as much acceptance and we'd be labeled as harassers, not rescuers.