As his ship passed by a lonely island, Odysseus heard beautiful voices singing a haunting melody. It was a melody that could lure even the most seasoned sailors to wreck their ships on the rocky shores, trapping them forever. Odysseus was warned about the dangers of the beautiful part-bird part-human Sirens and their magical song, but he was curious. Not wanting to be tempted away from his ship, he ordered his men to plug their ears with wax and tie him to the ship. The song pulled at Odysseus’s heartstrings, and he fought to free himself. He begged his men to untie him, but they stayed true to their word and kept him from losing himself to the Siren’s song.
A Whale’s Tale
In February 1891, James Bartley said he was eaten by a whale, and lived in its stomach for 36 hours. Bartley was a sailor on board a ship called Star of the East. He recalled the whaling ship was nearing the Falkland Islands when a whale was spotted. Longboats were dropped into the ocean, and harpoons were fired. The wounded whale tossed and turned. It struck the longboat containing Bartley with its tail. The boat tipped over, and Bartley and another man disappeared into the water. They were presumed drowned.