The 45th episode of the first season of Tiny Toon Adventures (and 45th overall), "Whale's Tales" involves Elmyra taking home a baby whale, and Buster and Babs going on a mission to save said baby whale's mother from being processed into beauty products by the Corrupt Corporate Executive Gotcha Grabmore.
The episode opens with the baby whale travelling the ocean with his mother. Unfortunately, the mother whale is captured by Gotcha Grabmore and her crew of octopus pirates. All alone, the heartbroken baby is eventually discovered by Elmyra, having beached himself on the shore near ACME Acres. Elmyra happily takes the baby home with her.
Eventually, Buster and Babs stop by and are astonished to find Elmyra caring (in her usual "Elmyra" way) for a baby whale. Elmyra is reluctant to give up the baby whale, however, resulting in Buster and Babs telling Elmyra about whaling. Elmyra faints in shock, and Buster and Babs return the baby whale to the ocean. Through speaking with the whale, Babs finds out where his mother is, prompting Buster and Babs to set off on a mission to save the baby's mother from Gotcha Grabmore. (With Elmyra following close behind with Furrball in tow.)
This episode provides examples of:
- Call-Back: Gotcha tells Buster and Babs she was hoping she'd eventually go up against them again.
- The Cavalry: A massive flock of sea-birds brought by a seagull friend of the whale's and tons of underwater sea-life inadvertently brought by Elmyra, all of which take down the octopus pirates and Gotcha's business.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Gotcha Grabmore.
- Credits Gag: Mermaid Model: Sherri Stoner
- Despair Event Horizon: By the time Elmyra comes across the baby whale, the baby has beached himself in depression. He doesn't really snap out of it until Buster and Babs agree to help save his mother.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Not evil, but the generally antagonistic Elmyra really does love animals and means well. She's just stupid and oblivious to the fact how harmful how she expresses that love actually is. Confronted by the horrors of actual animal cruelty, however... (Seriously, don't look up just what commercial whaling involves. just don't.)
- Faint in Shock: Elmyra faints when Buster and Babs explain to her what whaling is.
- Filling the Silence: Parodied when Elmyra goes to an encyclopedia to read about whales at the suggestion of Buster and Babs. As Elmyra reads what she finds out loud, Babs holds up a sign reading "I hate lulls".
- Green Aesop: An anti-whaling moral.
- Take That!: Gotcha tells the lead octopus pirate Octavious that she is growing weary of the octopus pirates' constant yo-ho-ho-ing. "Would you rather they sing the theme from Annie?" asks Octavious. Gotcha groans and tells them to keep yo-ho-ho-ing.
- Ugly All Along: When Gotcha tells the mother whale that her blubber will be used for her cosmetics, the mother whale squirts her in the face, washing off her makeup, revealing her to look hideous without it. A mortified Gotcha instantly re-applies her makeup afterwards.
