Whales and Other Wonders

 

Lori Christopher's painting: See Me

When I think about whales,
I think about Tahlequah, mother orca,

who carried her dead calf on her nose

for seventeen days and a thousand miles,

grieving, unable to let her go,

telling us humans: see! See what you have done,

making earth and sea and sky unhealthy

for everyone.

kwiisahi?is, Brave little hunter

My heart swims with Kwee-sa-hayis,
Brave Little Hunter,

who circled the lagoon, week after week,

crying for her mother, who beached

then drowned in the shallows

when the tides rushed in.

After five weeks, she finally swam free,
out into open ocean, alone,
small brave warrior,
looking for her pod.

How will her story end?

How will our story end

if we don't come to understand

whales and other wonders,

and how we are connected

with every living thing

on sea and land?

Spong, who was pregnant, beached,
and died, with her orphaned calf nearby
art work by  Kirsten Buchanan

Update on kwee-sa-hayis April 27 : Oh my goodness. My heart has been aching for this little one, whose calls for her mother have been so heartbreaking. After five weeks trapped in the lagoon where her mother died, First Nations spent an afternòon encouraging her towards the narrow exit by tossing chunks of seal meat. She came close, near the gravel bar where her mother died, but wouldn't go further.

Two observers stayed with her overnight and at two in the morning SHE LEFT THE LAGOON. A true wonderment. They followed, and found her swimming in the moonlight. Guardians say the rest is up to her. We hope she will reunite with her pod, or another family. May they hear her cries across the miles and come for her. Her grandmother is in the pod, and will care for her and teach her to hunt if they reunite. Once she hit open ocean, her instincts seemed to click in, and she began swimming with purpose.

There is concern until she finds her pod, as it is far away, and she is too young to hunt for food.  But it is amazing that she exited on her own, with the loving assistance of First Nations. 

 

Members of the Ehattesaht First Nations Band, who encouraged the brave little one to swim free, say she approached their boat after exiting the lagoon, as if to thank them. These are the wonders of life that warm our hearts, and keep us going when so much else seems difficult.

 Update: In early May, she was reported as approaching boats, indicating she is hungry and needing food. Whereabouts of her pod were then unknown, as it is a travelling pod, that was in her vicinity when she was first orphaned. Her grandmother sat for a time at the entry to the lagoon, as the mother orca died. Sadly Kwee-sah-hayis was so long in the lagoon that her pod moved on. So the question in my poem: how will her story end, still stands. Sigh.

Update May 20: I am holding my breath and willing reunion with my whole being. Brave Little Hunter's pod, including her grandmother, has been spotted in the area where she was last seen. But Kwee-sah-hayis's location is at the moment unknown. She has not been seen for ten days.

I had hoped by the time this posted, she would be reunited with her pod. But the question remains unanswered. I will update you at What's Going On if I hear of any further developments. My heart hurts, thinking of her, just a baby, sailing those big seas alone. I hope she is still alive and that the pod hears her calls. But she has been a long time without food.

For my prompt at  What's Going On   link   ~  Whales and Other Wonders. I had already planned to feature whales in a prompt, when this happened. It could not be more timely.