ANECDOTE NO. FOUR: WHALES ARE KILLER
The human propensity for establishing rank often results in an unabashed placement of homo sapiens at the top of the species pyramid. We humans rationalize our elevation of the species “man” through making value judgments on the variety of organic traits and abilities of each species. Our ability to make value judgments is the most common reason cited as support for our biological superiority. The diffusion of Enlightenment thought imprinted the “modern” mind with a prejudice against non-rational thinking that overtime has developed in it’s descendents an unquestioned assumption of human superiority. Nietschze in Beyond Good and Evil wrote, “that which his ancestors most liked to do and most constantly did cannot be erased from a man’s soul,”. But in all seriousness, of course humans are the preferred species, why else would God almighty could have made his son a human and not a gopher?
When we encountered a pod of seven orcas, I was immediately captivated. The sheer magnitude of whales is enough to fascinate. Eight tons of glorious power per grown orca. When the whales breached the black of their bodies looked the shade of deep fluid black of a clear-glazed velvet painting. There is also so much beauty in the shade the white colorations of the whale take when the whale is barely below surface and belly-up (backs are black, tummies are white). It is a shade of turquoise like that of the oceans on postcards sent by tourists from the Caribbean that say “I wish you were here” just to remind relatives that they’re not. In my dumbstruck enchantment I think would have clapped and cooed even if I had been sprayed by an exhale laced with partially digested fish.
From what I could deduce the reason the we were able to watch the whales for 90 minutes while almost never repositioning the boat was their involvement in a cat and mouse seal hunt. It´s understood that pods of orcas cooperate in directing prey into a confined area to make it easier to hunt the prey. Living in an era and being from a society where most people who eat pork wouldn’t choose to meet the pig, the graphic hunting ritual of the whales commanded in me some serious respect. It was truly exceptional during our whale watching was the moment we watched a whale tail catapult half the carcass of a seal into the air. That seal was only a snack in the average 500 pounds consumed by full-grown Orcas a day. After a while I began to think that the orca pod could devour me as indifferently as they had a seal. I didn´t actually fear it would happen but remembered orcas can swallow a small seal whole, larger seals they tear apart and swallow in chunks. I am not sure if a human my size would qualify as one gulp or a few.
The whales came, there they went, uprooting in me a fleeting sensation of bliss. Rare opportunities often create enthusiasm in the minds of the eager. I don’t wonder, however, if the human pathology of biological supremacy is responsible for my exaggerated fascination. It is humbling to encounter an animal that could do away with me in an instant if I had no weapon but my own hands.
The human propensity for establishing rank often results in an unabashed placement of homo sapiens at the top of the species pyramid. We humans rationalize our elevation of the species “man” through making value judgments on the variety of organic traits and abilities of each species. Our ability to make value judgments is the most common reason cited as support for our biological superiority. The diffusion of Enlightenment thought imprinted the “modern” mind with a prejudice against non-rational thinking that overtime has developed in it’s descendents an unquestioned assumption of human superiority. Nietschze in Beyond Good and Evil wrote, “that which his ancestors most liked to do and most constantly did cannot be erased from a man’s soul,”. But in all seriousness, of course humans are the preferred species, why else would God almighty could have made his son a human and not a gopher?
When we encountered a pod of seven orcas, I was immediately captivated. The sheer magnitude of whales is enough to fascinate. Eight tons of glorious power per grown orca. When the whales breached the black of their bodies looked the shade of deep fluid black of a clear-glazed velvet painting. There is also so much beauty in the shade the white colorations of the whale take when the whale is barely below surface and belly-up (backs are black, tummies are white). It is a shade of turquoise like that of the oceans on postcards sent by tourists from the Caribbean that say “I wish you were here” just to remind relatives that they’re not. In my dumbstruck enchantment I think would have clapped and cooed even if I had been sprayed by an exhale laced with partially digested fish.
From what I could deduce the reason the we were able to watch the whales for 90 minutes while almost never repositioning the boat was their involvement in a cat and mouse seal hunt. It´s understood that pods of orcas cooperate in directing prey into a confined area to make it easier to hunt the prey. Living in an era and being from a society where most people who eat pork wouldn’t choose to meet the pig, the graphic hunting ritual of the whales commanded in me some serious respect. It was truly exceptional during our whale watching was the moment we watched a whale tail catapult half the carcass of a seal into the air. That seal was only a snack in the average 500 pounds consumed by full-grown Orcas a day. After a while I began to think that the orca pod could devour me as indifferently as they had a seal. I didn´t actually fear it would happen but remembered orcas can swallow a small seal whole, larger seals they tear apart and swallow in chunks. I am not sure if a human my size would qualify as one gulp or a few.
The whales came, there they went, uprooting in me a fleeting sensation of bliss. Rare opportunities often create enthusiasm in the minds of the eager. I don’t wonder, however, if the human pathology of biological supremacy is responsible for my exaggerated fascination. It is humbling to encounter an animal that could do away with me in an instant if I had no weapon but my own hands.
posted by Jojo at 1:50 PM
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