Never Stop Learning

Below: The other night some black-tailed deer were hanging out across the street from my cottage. They aren’t shy around here because some tourists have been known to feed them. Black-tailed deer are a bit smaller than the white-tails back home in Michigan, but they are equally as bad about crossing the street in front of cars so people have to be careful in the evenings. They are also excellent swimmers and swim from island to island. We always joke that it’d be awesome to see a Transient orca take out a black-tailed deer as it’s swimming across the straits.

I’m happy to report the paintings all made it to their homes safely. I’m glad everyone’s happy with how they turned out. Today was my first day off in a while and it was nice to get some groceries, despite the fact they cost a fortune here. Today was a big money day because rent was due and I had to get some food… spending money on needs and not wants is difficult to adjust to. Who would have thought money was important for things like shelter and food as opposed to clothes and gifts? Hahaha. And so the growing up begins. Life was much simpler when I could blow my paycheck on clothes and souvenirs on vacations. Don’t worry though; I haven’t completely given up on buying the knick knacks. My favorite place to shop locally is at the Whale Museum. They sell awesome pictures of the whales and the majority of the proceeds go to whale conservation… so I feel like my money is at least going toward something that means a lot to me.

I haven’t seen the whales since Sunday. Apparently Transients have been in the area, but the high seas due to pretty extreme wind conditions have made it difficult to get to them. T-14 aka Pender, is fast becoming a favorite of mine because he tends to rescue me when there aren’t other critters out. I’m getting along with everyone at work well. I really enjoyed the guest captain, Hobbes, these past few weeks. He helped me feel better adjusted to working on a boat by giving me pointers for successful knot tying and fender placement. (The fenders are these little bumpers we tie onto the boat upon arrivals so we don’t scratch the boat against the dock.) Lately the seals and sea lions have been a bit skittish and the boat captains believe this has something to do with all the Transients in the area. Orcas are super clever and sometimes will swim really fast towards the rocks where the seals are hauled out. They will veer away at the last moment, which sends a wave crashing over the rocks. This washes the seals into the water where the whales can eat them. Although it sounds brutal, it’s difficult not to be in awe of their power and intelligence. This intelligence and ability to use sonar to locate prey are prime reasons why I believe there are no recorded attacks on humans by orcas in the wild. It is much easier for them to identify what is and what isn’t prey. The Transients are pretty cool, but I really miss J-Pod. I always talk about the whales, whether we see them or not, because people really tend to be fascinated by them. Every time I discuss the problems that affect them, I have to be careful not to get choked up. I know that sounds super lame, but I really do care about the whales and hope to make some sort of difference that may help save them. J-1 (Ruffles) and J-28 (Polaris) hold quite a bit of sentimental value for me and I can’t help but wish to see them every time we go out. I am becoming a firm believer in the idea that certain animals were put here specifically for the connection they have with people. Dogs, cats, horses, and even whales and dolphins all hold special places in the human heart and I don’t think this is a matter of coincidence. Perhaps they were given higher intelligence and different “human-like capacities” to better form bonds with us. Every seaside culture has stories of whales and dolphins interacting with humans. There are still places in the world where humans rely on dolphins to help them in their daily lives. Fishermen in a city in Brazil rely on dolphins to cooperate with them and herd fish into their nets along the shore. The dolphins seem to appreciate the interaction with humans and the free fish people give out after the hunt. Their connection to people has really taken a hold on me and I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing them. One day it’d be nice to have a wild underwater encounter with a dolphin. Don’t worry though, I won’t attempt this any time soon with the orca out here. I’m pretty sure they don’t reciprocate the fondness for me, although it would be nice to think they do. Too bad they aren’t like Free Willy and I can’t call them to me with terrible harmonica playing. I watched Free Willy 2 the other day because it was filmed in the islands. It’s really cool to pick out landmarks, islands, and whales that I recognize. It also gives me something to talk about while on the boat, like, “This is the spot where Willy was caught.” (Being on the boat is sort of like my fifteen minutes of fame. I really don’t mind being the center of attention, in fact, I enjoy it. Go figure.)

I’ve been reading more in Letters from a Skeptic and of course I love it. I also started reading a book called Togetherness is Our Home, by Dr. Astrid van Ginneken. The book is a journey through an orca named Tuschka’s life. It is written through the eyes of a young orca born near Norway and taken into captivity at a young age. Dr. van Ginneken is from the Netherlands and works here at the Center for Whale Research doing research and photo cataloging of the local orcas. She used her knowledge and fascination with orcas to write the book. I really like reading her perspective on the social aspects of an orca’s life and how they have a hierarchy in their pods. This reminds me of the hierarchy in herds of horses with some animals being dominant, playful, or shy. Each individual has a place in the group and they work together for the survival of their families. There is a true story of a juvenile female orca from a pod in New Zealand who was nearly mortally injured by a boat propeller that made several deep cuts in her back behind her dorsal fin. This female, nicknamed Prop, was supported by her family so she could heal. Her family was seen holding her up so she could breathe and feeding her for months after the incident. To this day, over 20 years after the event, they still guard her as she is not as strong as her relatives. Amazing stuff, no? Wouldn’t it be nice if people treated their own families as the orcas treat theirs? It’s so scary to hear about situations like in Austria where that man hid his daughter in a shed for years so he could rape her and keep her for himself. I feel so terrible for the daughter and the deprived children who resulted from the incestuous relationship. I can’t help but wish we took a lesson from the orca. They respect their elders, realizing they have more life experience and can give great advice. They also realize the value of the individual within the group. Some orcas live to be in their nineties, like J-2 who’s estimated to be 97 yrs old, and still find time to spend with the younger whales as opposed to lagging behind and complaining. They are the ones leading the pod into the future. They also have been known to spend time resting and socializing when one animal is dying. They spend all the time they can together, knowing time is short. It’s funny because the more you learn about them, the more you begin to humanize them and feel for their plight. I’m so fascinated by orcas and can’t wait to keep learning about their lives.

I can’t wait for family and friends to come out and see them in their natural environment. It’s like a heaven on earth and I’ll be sad to go.