11.08.2018 – Declaration of love

If you read the main topic of today’s blog, you may wonder about this blog heading, but keep reading, I’m sure you’ll understand.

Our morning started like an usual wonderful Saturday morning. A fine silence covered the sea, hardly any boats outside, and many, many Atlantic Spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), who after morning meal, had time for other things. Spread out on the big blue surface they socialized, had a ride in the bow wave and mated. Afterwards our guests saw a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and several Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). As I said, it was an ordinary-amazing Saturday morning!

In the afternoon we witnessed an event, which is certainly much more common than we think.

It all began quite innocently, even very nicely, a large and strong Pilot whale spy hoped close to our boat (sticking its head out of the water). It was: the PERFECT SPY HOP!!!! (unfortunately it was too spontaneous, so it remained without photo proof). It was a moment that will be remembered by many. Shortly thereafter, other animals began to spy hop, excitement was in the air and it became clear that something special was going on here. What we saw then was incredibly touching.

Guests sometimes ask me what my three most touching experiences with whales and dolphins are. A difficult answer. Since I’m so excited about these wonderful animals anyway, every day is special, beautiful and wonderful. But today will be a milestone for me. A mother brought her dead calf to the surface !! It was clear that the calf had already been dead for a few days. At first, without a question such an experience triggers dismay. But compassion for the mourning dam, coupled with amazement at the intense supportive behaviour of the other group members, was the reason that made me even more involved with these marine mammals.

The sea is definitely a living environment, which brings challenges. Just in recent weeks, the fate of a well-known Orca mother (her name is Tahlequah or J35) was a topic in the media. The twenty-year-old Tahlequah had to mourn a dead calf. The mother carried her calf on the for 1000 miles on surface of the water along the west coast of the United States and Canada. When she was too exhausted, she was replaced by other animals in the group. After 17 days the mother released the dead baby’s body.

Even with Pilot whales such mourning behaviour has been documented several times. Mother animals escorted by other animals, carrying their dead calf for days on the surface. This is called social culture! To read something like that is incredibly touching, but to experience it yourself …. I thought it’s hardly possible to love these animals any more, but at that moment my heart opened so much further.

A little later, just waiting sideways, young Pilot Whales came right up against us in a straight front, and there were Spy hops here and there as well. It was almost clear who was behind the protection of this blockade. It was the mourning mother with her calf. Full compassion, we observed this protective behaviour. My heart was overflowing with love.

Besides all the feelings that touches you on such an event, with all the respect for these beautiful marine mammals and the decency to respect the grief, it is of course incredibly important to document such an event! It is further proof of what sentient beings these animals are. They experience pain and sadness, they work in a team and they are supportive, and of course we observe every day how they express their zest for life. What a wide range of emotional behaviour. We need to show such events so that people understand that these animals are beings with souls who must be under our protection.

The intellect, the mind determines us humans and takes such a high value in our society. But is it always a solution? Also, marine mammals have intelligence and who knows, maybe emotional intelligence is far more natural to them than to us human beings?

We value by our standards and think we are the measure of things? But in the end, we are only a small building block in the big universe. It sometimes comes to me, the question of whether we can really grasp the extent of intelligence from our limited perspective? Maybe there is so much more, which does not open up to us, because we are separated from it by our societal character?

How unimaginable that humankind is slaughtering these wondrously wonderful creatures in the Faroe Islands/Denmark and also in Taiji/Japan in masses. What arrogance to put human tradition about the preservation of life!! Where is the emotional intelligence in human mind?

In awe, I bow my head to this subtle act of cohesion, protection, sorrow, and respect. Love flows through me, for these animals and the desire to contribute as much as possible to their protection. It was a unique, sad, touching event. My heart is more than ever, full of love, full of amazement for these unique creatures. Thank you, that our guests and the crew were allowed to witness.

 Please sign the petition against the mass battles off the Faroe Islands/Denmark and in Taiji/Japan! Many Thanks!

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10.00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Pilot whales

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Pilot whales

Stenella

09:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Pilot whales

15.30 Bottlenose dolphins, Pilot whales