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Heartwings Love Notes 849 - An Adventure on the High Seas

Heartwings says: "Nature has gifts to share when we pay attention."

If you have never been on a whale watch be sure to put one on your bucket list. Stephen and I enjoyed one recently and it was a truly fine experience. We were fortunate and saw a number of whales as well as being given a wonderful show by two of them, a mother and her calf. At first like most of the several hundred people on the ship, I was trying to take pictures. However, the whales were coming and going before I could aim my camera. It was frustrating, and I began to feel annoyed.

I put my camera away and was glad I had. It was after I did that and began to just observe the whales that I had a truly vivid experience. As I put all my attention on just watching I also felt a kind of connection with the beautiful, sleek dark bodies that were present in the ocean around the boat. Our knowledgeable guides said that the whales were unusually active. Since these are not tame creatures trained to perform, they act the way they wish, and that day it felt as though they were entertaining us with their behaviors.

A mother whale and her calf were swimming fairly close to the ship, and the captain spent quite a lot of time near them so we could watch. At one point the mother whale was apparently helping her calf learn something because she kept repeating her behavior. She would slap her tail against the water and do a shallow dive, then come up and roll over, flapping and then flopping her flippers. Our guides were happy for us and spoke of how rare this was. It was a wonderful sight to see. But what I found most intriguing was the feeling of connection that occurred after Ihad put away my camera.

Once when I was swimming in a lake in Maine I found myself fairly close to a Loon and had a similar experience. It was as if I were in the presence of a friendly stranger, perhaps speaking another language I could not understand, but felt to be welcoming. As I stood with many others at the side of the boat, I felt a sense of communion with the mother whale. It came as a warm sensation in my chest that came with no words yet communicated a wondrous sense of beauty, grace, and intelligence. How differently we might behave toward the earth's creatures if everyone could feel what these special beings inspired in me and perhaps in all who watched them.

May you find a kinship with creatures that inspires you to feel the importance of protecting the environment.

Do you have a story to share about communicating with a creature in some way? I love to hear from readers and enjoy your stories immensely. Thanks in advance for anything you might like to share.

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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