[Paddlewise] Grey Whales - Logbook

Logbook/ Doug Lloyd/ June 16th, 1983

The morning dawned dull and dreary, but calm. It was hard to get up and
breathe deeply the sharp morning sea air. Amazingly the powerful ozone in
the air had the capacity to breathe new hope and life into my inner being,
and I soon headed out once more, forgetting the discomforts of yesterdays
35 miles. The caress of sea air exhilarated all exposed skin. The fog
eventually burned off, leaving the late spring sunlight dancing off the
small waves now rustling up.  In amongst the reefs near the entrance to
Nitnat Lake (West Coast Trail-Vancouver Island), I saw a 20 ton grey whale
maneuvering with delicate manipulation as it fed from the bottom. Its huge
tail fluke waved in the air, as moist droplets glistened in the early
morning sun. I was able to move with stealth and precision down the narrow
surge channel, where a deep chasm had allowed room for the huge creature to
station itself vertically. It gently swayed with the rhythmic oceanic
swell, pulsing with its own sweet life. The outline of its mottled grey
skin lost definition at lower depths. An undefinable pull lured me closer.
The  magnetism was intense, though I knew I was intruding far too close.
Then, in a moment, the great beast moved out of the channel, as mounds of
water were set in motion above and below. I braced for dear life, and it
was gone, like some great ghost. Only fragments of it were left in my
memory. I thought of a verse from the Genesis: "And God created great
whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly...and God saw that it was good."

Dear Paddlewisers, 
I'm politically inept, and must confess I don't understand all of the
issues with respect to the Makah whale kill yesterday. All I know is that
in my close encounters with these gentle giants of the deep, there is
always a deep sense of awe and profound preservational thinking. I feel
like I lost a friend yesterday, and that we are all impoverished. Thank you
for listening.

BC'in Ya
Doug Lloyd   

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