e-Marginalia :: The Whale’s Gift

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I began to paddle slowly, away from the bull. Females and yearlings passed by me covering me with their blow. The pod was reforming around the bull. As quickly as it began, the hunt was over.

I counted 18 dorsals logging on the surface. I guessed they were just sitting there while heads were being counted to make sure no one was left behind. Suddenly the large female brought her flukes up and smacked them down. With that the pod turned and headed north. When they surfaced, a few minutes later, they were far ahead of me.

Copyright James Dorsey :: The Whale’s Gift :: I heard the Orca long before seeing them. On the flat waters of the Johnstone Strait sound skims along like a stone. You can hear a blow miles away. In late August; salmon are in town and have set the upper echelons of the food chain in motion. Orca eat Salmon, and the Inside Passage is a twenty four-hour cafe. For those interested in whales, this is the place to be.

I sat quietly for a few minutes, trying to absorb what had just happened. They were perfectly aware of my presence and tolerated it even though they were engaged in the deadliest activity of all, the hunt. I had been given an incomparable gift.

Since that day I have often thought what it might be like to one day actually communicate with these creatures. Then it finally hit me. They had communicated with me. The entire hunt had been a communication by executing it with me in the center. They allowed me to see an inner part of their daily life that maybe only a handful of people will ever be able to witness. When an outsider is allowed into a closed society, it is the highest form of flattery. When it happens between species, it is a cosmic experience. I can only hope one day to truly understand.

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