To: Whales living near Alaska
From: Walt and Sue Rakowich
Dear Whales,
We were in your neighborhood recently, and we’d like to express our gratitude and respect for your part in what was a wonderful trip.
We’re big fans, not just of you but of all God’s creatures on land and sea. We are only writing to you, however, because prior to our visit we had a few concerns about our potential encounters with you.
Humans like us often focus on your size, because, well, compared to us you are really, really big. But there’s so much more to whales, as you of course know, than size. You are terrific communicators with great social skills. And as we saw on a trip a few years ago to the Antarctica region, you are fantastic strategists, especially when coordinating a food-gathering expedition, or what we humans typically refer to as “hunting seals.”
In fact, it’s that memory along with an event that made the news among humans that frankly had us a little concerned when we embarked on our trip to Alaska and the waters around it. You see, one of your cousins had an encounter with a boat off the shores of New Hampshire. The boat capsized and two humans went into the water. Thankfully, the humans were rescued and were uninjured, and your humpback cousin, as far as we know, is also fine.
Alls whale the ends whale, right? Ha! Ha!
There’s speculation that this was a teenager whale doing teenager things. But we genuinely hope there’s no ill-will brewing in the oceans between humpbacks, orcas, gray, blue, sperm, or minke whales and humans such as us.
For our part, we love whales and enjoyed seeing you – from a safe and respectful distance. We showed up merely to admire your grace and beauty, and hopefully we did so in ways that weren’t an intrusion on your space. We were grateful for the opportunity and that it came and went without any dramatic boat-flipping adventures.
We know the world is pretty divided these days, but we believe we can all get along if we just commit to making the effort. Thanks for allowing us to safely share your space for a few days.
Walt and Sue
Linda Mitton
I copied this incrediable link, Michael Fishbach, a dear retired pro tennis player friend of Bernie and I. His story went viral in 2015 and how he, his family and friends saved the life of a Humpback Whale! Wait till you see his gratitude, the Whale made an amazing thank you many many times over!
https://youtu.be/6j5GLffsQsM?si=Fcs_OiVa3fU4zjNT