Have You Ever Seen A Whale In Your Backyard?

Something dark, ominous was floating just
off-shore in Puget Sound. As I get closer, I
realize that it's a whale and my next thought
is: 'Oh, wow… must be mating.' "It looks
like you guys are watching National Geographic
-- are there whales mating?"

A neighbor grimly tells me, "No--a whale beached
itself and hasn't breathed for a half
hour…" We watch. And wait. A man from
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration - htpp://www.noaa.gov) sits in
front of a black case, jotting notes on a
clipboard. More minutes pass… still no
breath. Someone asks how long a whale can go
without breathing? The NOAA man says, "About 45
minutes…" An hour passes. The whale
appears lifeless… Its dorsal fin moves
but it could be it's just the tide moving it
back and forth.

A NEWS CHOPPER POUNDS OVERHEAD… A frenzy
builds as more neighbors trickle thru Bill's
yard. The local news crews arrive and set up
with expert precision, having done this a
thousand times before. There's Channel 4…
Channel 5… Channel 7… Channel
13… They interview the teenage girl who
first saw the whale. "I saw it and ran home to
tell my mom and get my camera!" Her ponytail
flips as she looks from the whale to the camera
and back.

Then the NOAA expert huddles the crowd together:
"It's a Gray whale, female, probably died of
malnutrition like the other four we've
investigated in recent weeks. We'll try to tow
it away on high tide and perform a necropsy
(whale autopsy) but may have to do it
here…"

Judy invites me to come to her house and watch
the TV coverage. When we emerge again, the crowd
has dissipated and the TV crews--like anxious
fishermen eager to hook their lines--are itching
to get fresh sound bites. I tell Judy she should
do it, but she replies that she is too shy. Then
someone from KOMO 4 asks me to share my thoughts.
I look around and see that there are only a few
of us left so I agree, thinking someone has to
say something about the tragic demise of one of
the ocean's most majestic creatures!

DAY 2: The next morning, the tide is out as I
take the dog for a walk on the beach--the
motionless whale, a mere 100 feet off shore.
It's as if she showed up in our backyard hoping
someone would invite her in and help her! I
stand only a few feet from the whale, closer
than I ever have in my entire life and marvel at
the fact that I get to see a gray whale up close.
It's long with a graceful tail, but surprisingly
thin for a whale. I'm suddenly intrigued by her
mouth--rows of long white flesh, about two
inches wide that look like piano keys. Dozens of
scrapes and scattered white barnacles cover her
massive body.

By 11am, yellow CAUTION tape encircles the whale
which appears to be about 35 feet long. Moments
later, a group of school children, maybe 10
years old, carefully circle the whale, pausing
to stare at its mouth and tail… I am
struck by the thought that it looks like they
are on a field trip at the Seattle Aquarium and
this was something that the teacher had planned
months ago. In fact, they were kids from a
private school--the twins that live down the
street told their teacher and they all got to
come experience this amazing sight. When I run
down to see the kids, I hear one ten-year old
sigh, "It's so sad, he starved to death. He
didn't have enough to eat."

DAY 3: There's a photo in The Seattle Times of
the whale's stomach contents spread out on a
table: plastic bags, bottles, trash…a
pair of sweat pants!? Not only did she not have
enough to eat, but she ate human garbage as her
last supper! This has to be a wake-up call:
"It's time to clean up the oceans and stop
polluting the planet… We are just as
vulnerable as that mighty whale and our demise
will surely follow if we don't stop this cycle
of toxic waste."

As I sip coffee and talk to Uncle Joel on the
phone (about the whale, what else?) the doorbell
rings. It's KOMO news 4--a newscaster and camera
woman wait on the path (surely they can see thru
the tiny wood slats that I'm in my pajamas?) They
ask if I have anything else to say about the
whale. Panic-stricken, I manage to muster, "So
sorry, I really can't help you right
now…"

I was suddenly crippled with embarrassment. Did
hair, makeup and a lack of wardrobe prevent me
from giving a 30 second sound bite? OMG! Did I
just miss an opportunity to save the planet and
implore people to "save the whales"?

The next time I look out the window, a 12 foot
aluminum boat with the words: RESEARCH on its
side bobs--as they work tirelessly to tie the
whale to our buoy.… My heart sinks. I
just hope the boat doesn't sink.

12 NOON: I look out the window to see a
vigil--nine kayakers form a circle in the water
where the whale took its last breath. The water,
like glass as rain gently falls…

2PM: A flocks of Geese -- dozens of graceful
birds dance in the sand -- in the exact spot
where the whale had died. It is a sight to see
as they peck at the sand, scooping up what I
think must be… holy whale water.

Now I can honestly say, "I saw a whale in my
backyard!"


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Serena Tarica works as an independent creative
writing strategist, offering clients brand
development, web content, headlines, taglines,
business-to-business and consumer print
advertising. She is known for infusing sharp
copy that commands target audience attention to
maximize effectiveness and impact.
Visit: http://www.SerenaTarica.com
http://divawithwords.wordpress.com



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