Have you ever seen a whale? I mean, eye to eye, up close and personal. I have, in New Zealand and it is one of those experiences that truly changes your life, as cliche as that sounds. Being that close to something that large, wise and almost pre-historic makes you feel both insignificant and privileged at the same time. You know you are in the presence of something special and knowing.
Which may be why the recent Charles Siebert article about whales in the New York Times struck such a chord with me. Siebert does his usual masterful job of detailing the presence of the grey whales in the Baja lagoons where they have returned to give birth and interact favorably with humans after years of conflict. It is quite a remarkable story.
In fact, the entire bifurcated history of human-whale interaction is but one more paradox in the litany of complicated and complex scenarios we have created in our overall relationship with animals. Alternating between awe and assassination, the human whale history is fraught with duplicity and it is only recently, say within the last 50 years, that we have come to view these splendid creatures as the gentle, wise souls that they are.
Please search out the article and settle in for a good read. And let me know if you feel inspired to hop a plane to Baja and experience the miracles he describes for yourself!
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