Answering The Call
When the whales call... do you listen?
I’ll never forget the first encounter I had with a whale. Sure I had seen them on whale watches growing up-- but that’s just it-- we were watching them, it would be decades before I learned the distinction between watching a whale… and relating to a whale.
The day that inspired the direction of my life happened during a Prescott College expedition course -- we were sea kayaking through the Sea or Cortez learning ocean ecology as we traveled. But first, we stopped in San Ignacio to meet the grey whales.
I had no idea what to expect. I had never heard of grey whales. I didn’t yet know that the day after the endangered species act was passed in 1973, a grey whale had reached out of her world to introduce herself to a fisherman in the bay we were about to meet them in that transformed the fishing industry into an ecotourism industry.
So when we headed out in the little panga that floated just 3 feet off the surface of the ocean I wasn’t expecting much. But as soon as the top of the whale surfaced next to our boat, we all got crazy-- everyone was all elbows and knees as we reached out to try to touch the grey whale.
On the other side of the whale was another panga, and in it was a man standing, holding his 3 year old daughter.
A baby whale I didn’t know was cuddled close to its mother burst out of the water as it jumped straight into the air to look that baby human in the eye.
I have never seen anything like it before or since.
And that was that.
What had moments before looked like a big ugly rubbery creature of the sea became visible as a sentient being fully conscious of its surroundings and in choice about who it did-- and did not relate to.
That turned out to be a day that would direct the course of my life. It’s rather amazing to think of it now-- how there are literal moments that direct the course of one’s life.
And these moments come in to our lives, building through time from the horizon, arriving like a wave that passes through.
And sometimes we catch the wave, and sometimes we don’t and it passes on by.
Paul F Watson says once a whale looks you in the eye you stop working for yourself and you start working for them.
I can’t disagree with that.
After that experience, I felt kinship with whales. I became fascinated and wanted to learn everything I could about them. They were my main focus when I was a natural history guide in Alaska. Little did I know that many years later, I would spend my winters in Maui with the same Humpback whales I met in Alaska a decade before.
That day with the grey whales is the day it all started.
But the day my life fully turned to catch the current the whales ride in was 6 years later after recovering from cancer. I had moved across the country. Given everything that was safe and comfortable up because I had caught the scent of life— and I was following this mysterious beat that I couldn’t see, name, or understand.
When people asked why I was leaving my great job, home, community and family to move to CA— where I had none of those things, I answered honestly, “I don’t know.”
What I did know was that even though I had everything I was supposed to want, peace would not take up residence within me. Something was calling me, banging on my consciousness, tugging at my heart, and I didn't speak its language….yet.And when I tried to ignore it— it only got louder.
So I caught that wave of change, and headed to San Francisco.
Having just experienced a quickly growing cancer that threatened my voice; after recovering, was the beginning of an understanding of that to have a voice— is a gift, and I wanted to use it.
But that didn’t make landing in a new place and starting life over easy. I was so stressed out from trying to make ends while I searched for my new career that a friend suggested I go housesit for a friend who had a homestead on the lost coast.
Soon after arriving, I went to Ocean with THE BIG PRAYER.
(If you’ve ever made it through a crisis that changed you -- perhaps you had that moment when the universe cracked open and you looked through. I got how magical, mysterious, and temporary this thing we call Life is-- and I knew that when I leave, I wanted to play a part in this unfolding story of our time, to be part of creating it, and I wanted to bring all of myself to this world, every gift and talent-- and I wanted to be part of the healing of this planet.)
And I told all of that and more to Ocean.
And something answered back.
It’s not as if I actually expected an answer.
Was it Ocean? Ancestors? Life herself?
I don’t pretend to know.
But I trusted the process of prayer because through my cancer journey I had experienced very tangible results— I had studied and experienced the power of prayer and how it really does influence what it is focused upon.
Truth be told— I don’t like to the rest of the story in public. It’s big, wild, and has taken me years to understand. I’ll be sharing the whole story this Sunday at the next Whale Dreaming Council. (These events are by donation, and recordings go to everyone who registers).
UPCOMING EVENTS
This Sunday: I’ll share the whole story, Gigi Coyle will be sharing her incredible stories about being a part of the first dolphin release programs, and Ted Cheeseman will be sharing his own journey with the whales and how he created Happywhale. REGISTER HERE
Dreaming Circles: Kelley Sullivan Walden will be guiding us through a process of dream incubation, understanding our dreams, and specifically how to connect our dream time with whale dream time. Learn more here.
The Whale Dreamer Book: I will begin reading chapters of the book (spoiler alert, what called back was a 3 book series that I am preparing to read live to our community, one chapter a week beginning the last week of June).
You can join live or/and receive the recordings when you join as a substack member, patreon member, or a whale dreaming council member.
If you plan to attend live readings—
Ready to deepen your relationship to Storytelling?
June 22nd begins an 8 week journey into aligning your personal stories with the natural rhythm of the moon. This program is co-taught with Ānela Gutierrez, Pacific Voyager, Educator & Ocean Steward, and teaches the valued Hawaiian teachings of the moon cycle.
This course emphasizes a relationship on mythology, as you will learn many Hawaiian myths, learn a traditional myth of your own lineage, and learn how to create with the natural cycles of nature. Learn more here.
PS! When you join with a friend, you both save $200.
Have you answered a calling?
I would love to hear your story.