Saturday dawned uneasy,
as a mother orca,
hunting in a small bay,
got beached when the tide
ran out.
First Nations and villagers
rushed to help her,
pouring water on her,
hoping she would swim out
when the tide returned.
Her small calf swam
nearby, calling and calling,
her tail thrashing in response.
She fought hard.
Sadly, she died.
A First Nations man sang
to her spirit, in ceremony,
to thank and bless her,
for the wild ones are all relatives
to the People of the Land.
On Sunday an orca-shaped cloud
appeared in the sky,
a message from the spirit world,
to say she was transformed.
Her calf is still in the bay,
her haunting cries
being broadcast out to sea
in hopes her pod
will return for her.
Her cries for her lost mom
are breaking our hearts.
A reunion with her pod is
the best ending
to this story.
Any other outcome
would make this tale
too sad and sorry.
Photo by Amanda Provencal of Port Alberni
Let's combine our wills and manifest this baby out into deeper waters where her pod can find her. Because of the tides, and the narrow passage she has to navigate, there is only a 30 minute window when she could, if she knew how, swim through to open ocean where her pod can be found..........but she will not be able to manage this herself. People are watching and hoping but action needs to be taken. They are considering lifting her out on a sling with a helicopter which will be traumatic but likely the only way to save her. As she was orphaned on the 23rd and it is now the 30th, I think they should stop watching and take action. If she doesnt make it, I am not going to be okay about it.
That certainly is an orca shaped cloud! I've heard of whales getting beached but it would be so sad to witness. Hopefully the calf survives.
ReplyDeleteGoodness.. I saw your poem soon after I read this article in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/25/orca-death-canada-british-columbia - it has a link to the calf calling - you're right it breaks the heart. I hope this one ends well...fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, it is hard to find. I went back to listen again.
DeleteThis is heartbreaking, Sherry - I hope his pod return for him!
ReplyDeleteThe last comment is from Ingrid.
ReplyDeleteSherry this is such a heartbreaking story .. your post is stunning.
ReplyDeleteThis story has really stayed with you. It's such a sad thing.
ReplyDeleteI know these stories hit you as hard as they do me, kiddo. This one is especially hard - a two year old who wont survive much longer if they dont get him out of the lagoon and with his pod. It reminds me of Tahlequah, the mother orca who, in 2018, carried her dead calf on her nose, grieving, for a thousand miles and seventeen days. It broke my heart. Two years later, she had a new calf, thankfully. Both still doing well. There are not many orcas left on the coast. Each death is so tragic.
DeleteThat is the saddest story, Sherry. I hope the baby can make its way to deeper waters.
ReplyDeleteAwww...hope the calf can find the pod!
ReplyDeletePK
Really sad story but you have captured it so well.
ReplyDeleteThese creatures are a part of us all, as is all life, and it is so sad to see them suffer. I hope something can be done to help the baby orca survive, but nature can be as cruel as she is bountiful.
ReplyDeleteSo sad! I can't cope with sad animal stories. I had to skim read. Sorry for my weakness.
ReplyDeleteOh Sherry, this is heartbreaking. I'm so glad you shared this, I'm also going to follow the progress of the calf, I need to know what happens. That photo of the cloud is just extraordinary, definitely a sign that she has passed over <3
ReplyDelete