An incident on the Varanus Island Patch.
-------------The rescue of a False Killer Whale.
When I worked for an oil company on a small island off the north west coast of Western Australia, I would spend most of my spare time studying the local wildlife and became known as the islands naturalist, so whenever something interesting regarding the environment occurs then word goes out, “where’s Tanny”.
On Sunday, May the 30 1993, I received a call to get down to the mangrove beach because a Whale had stranded itself there. My heart palpitated with anxiety as I ran to where a group of men were gathered around a large, dark object that I thought was a Pilot Whale. Later I discovered it was a False Killer Whale.
The Whale lay there like a small, black submarine on a rocky section of the beach, brilliant blood in the pools of water around her, a contrast in black and red. Slowly I walked towards her, filled in wonder at the distressing sight.
I ran my hand along the smooth, glistening black skin over which the senior roustabout was pouring water, a compassionate look of awe on his rugged face. The plight of a stranded whale can turn the most belligerent roustabout benign.
I examined her flippers where the blood was seeping from superficial abrasions caused by knocking against the wave-smoothed bedrock beneath her, in a futile struggle for freedom.
On her back, half way between the snout and dorsal fin, high on the left side, was a three inch long, half an inch wide, clean edged cut, looking suspiciously like one made by a spear or similar object. I later concluded that a Sail Fish or a Marlin possibly caused it. I wondered if the cut was as deep as it’s length or even deeper, and if so, did it penetrate vital nerves and bone and was it the cause of the creature separating from its companions, and ultimately beaching on this isolated island.
My hand wandered over her head and over her eye, which closed with it’s passing to open again, looking up at me with a penetrating gaze. I stared deeply into the abyss of that eye as though hypnotized, such a black, sparkling, intelligent gaze. I felt like I was falling from a great height and many thoughts passed through my mind in a flash, my problems, my fears, and anxieties all became insignificant, and like one who sees the proverbial light, I saw my revelation in the depth of this whales eye. I passed my hand over the eye again and the lids closed, and I looked away. Moments later the foreman arrived with a large forklift and with many willing hands we managed to roll the Whale over into a net and slung it up with the forks. I walked out into the water up to chest high and waited as they drove towards me. I held the whale’s head as they gently lowered it down, and I started pulling her out of the net. As she floated in my arms the eye transfixed me again and I was momentarily drawn into their depths once more. This time there flashed into my mind, the folly of man, his destruction of the environment, and the pollution of the oceans. The devastation of the forests and ruin of pristine coral reefs. I let go of her head and the eye sank beneath the water, then from her body that was pressing against mine I felt a shudder, a vibration, not unlike the mildest electric shock, then the great tail moved and she slowly brushed along me in passing, and I felt a great overwhelming joy at the sight of her going. All of us stood there in silence and watched her swim away to the horizon. Only then did we all give a great cheer. Many a time when I am distressed I see that gaze in my dreams, and peace fills my heart and soul. |=)|
