POETRY

"THE EYE OF THE WHALE"
by Homero Aridjis
(Genesis 1:21)  To Betty

And God created the great whales
there in Laguna San Ignacio,
and each creature that moves
in the shadowy thighs of the water.

He created dolphin and sea lion,
blue heron and green turtle,
white pelican, golden eagle,
and the double-crested cormorant.

And God said unto the whales:
"Be fruitful and mutliply
in act of love that may be
seen from the surface

Only through a bubble,
or a fin,  slanted,
the female is taken below
by the long prehensive penis;

for there is no splendor greater than the gray
when the light turns it to silver.
Its bottomless breath
is an exhalation".

And God saw that it was good,
that the whales made love
and played with their young
in the magical lagoon.

And God said:
" Seven whales together
make a procession.
One hundred whales make a dawn.

And the whales came out
to catch a glimpse of God
between the dancing furrows of the waters.
And God was seen through the eye of a whale.

And the whales filled
the oceans of the earth.
And it was the afternoon and the morning
of the fifth day. 

"THE WHALE"

With awesome power and grace,
The great speckled white whale,
Leaps towards the heavens,
As if to merge into,
The vortex of time,
To free its spirit,
>From the deep swirling sea,
Of our blue white planet,
This soaring soul,
Sings for sheer joy,
As it plummets at the speed,
Faster than light,
Towards the beginning of the universe.
This primal sound resonates everywhere,
Then once more back within,
The gigantic powerful physical frame
Slips beneath the waves,
All is quiet once more!
 
Rosalind Hyson 8/7/2009.

Breaching Gray Whale Image courtesy of James Dorsey.

The CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALE COALITION is dedicated to protecting the most ancient Baleen Whale on Planet Earth.

SIGN THE PETITION

"I request that the new US Congress take all necessary steps to fund a comprehensive review of all the major threats facing the California Gray Whale."

"A growing number of Gray Whales in the sub Arctic waters are contaminated. As bottom feeders, these whales are vulnerable to toxic pollution.  Recent data from our worldwide sampling of sperm whale blubber - The Voyage of the Odyssey - show that many whales are polluted to levels that make their meat unsafe for human consumption-a sufficient cause to discontinue whaling."

DR ROGER PAYNE

"The California Gray Whale is an indicator species of the sub Arctic and Arctic Oceans.   With major changes taking place in the polar marine ecosystems, ensuring ongoing research into the major threats facing these majestic whales is critical.  In the light of these changes, Gray Whales deserve the highest legal protection."

DR SLVIA EARLE




"Gray whales face many pressures, such as lack of food, coastal development and increasing ocean noise.  They need better protection."

JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU

"And God created the great whales
there in Laguna San Ignacio"

HOMERO ARIDJIS

"the possibility that we might drive these magnificent creatures into extinction is unimaginable and unacceptable."

DARYL HANNAH

"Life began in the sea.  So goes the whale...so goes mankind.  An effort to save the whales benefits us all."

BEAU BRIDGES

"Thanks for leading the fight to save
the Gray Whales"

ED BEGLEY JNR




"The Gray Whale is the marine mammal symbol of California.  It deserves to be protected and honored.  I support the creation of a "Whale of a Day" tribute to this magnificent animal."

PRINCE FREDERIC VON ANHALT

"The Gray Whale faces a myriad of threats from climate change to sonar testing and oil exploration. They need our help and the California Gray Whale Coalition is a leading advocate for this important keystone species."

PEDRO NAVA

"When we fully understand and begin to meet the threats to the California Gray Whale, we will be addressing the problems that face North America's entire Pacific coastal ecosystem."

LYNN WOOLSEY

"Saving the Gray Whales from extinction is an absolute must.  This magnificent, intelligent species cannot be allowed to perish from this earth.  If we ignore their plight we ignore the eventual impact on all species, including our own, of the rapacious practices of mankind."

SARA WAN

"Gray whales need our immediate attention! Due to climate change, their Arctic food supply is diminishing and the numbers of mother-calf pairs on the long migration are the lowest in years."

DICK RUSSELL

Grateful thanks to Baja Eco Tours for these images.