And for everyone else that lives and breathes on this beautiful planet of ours. When I advocate for oceans, for the cetaceans that live in them, it's advocacy for us all. The phrase too big to fail has become a bit overused but for me, the ocean is not too big to fail, and yet I bet so many people think, it's so vast, the oceans are so big, how can we, a few billion human beings have such an impact?
We can.
But we can chose to have positive impacts. We can chose to take the events that happen in our lives to inspire or to create despair. When Lily the Gray whale entered Dana Point Harbor in Orange County, Ca it caused so much hope and despair. Her death impacted me immensely and writing about it also managed to reach out to others who were touched by her passing.
I've been in contact with the creator of a group that came out of this whale's death called, Clean the Ocean's for Lily the Gray Whale. Jacinda, the creator, was touched by this story so much, she had to do something to make people aware of all our trash, of the nets, and all the other impacts that Gray Whales face in the oceans.
I often visit the page because it's local, it's one of my favorites and I love how much Jacinda is doing to try to involve people locally to be aware of how lucky we are living so close to the ocean, the gorgeous pacific ocean with the amazing number of migrating whale species and a huge number of dolphins that live here year round. (In fact, we're having a record season of blue whales because of bountiful krill off the coast of California).
And it was wonderful to see new artwork, artwork made by a local girl who wanted to help as well. And I wanted to cry. I know, damn treehuggers. But it was so beautiful and to me, it meant that Lily had already inspired this child to care about what happened to her and what would happen to the oceans and Jacinda's mission of engaging people on what we can do to make our ocean's a better place for not just the Lily's of the ocean but for all of us.
And Lily's story is reaching further than Dana Point, her story is being told by the California Gray Whale Coalition, which concentrates solely on the health and welfare of the California Gray whale.
The gist has to do with the fact that if there is not enough food in their feeding grounds in the arctic, they will starve, as Lily did. Gray whales are not like Blues, Humpbacks and Minke's, they are bottom feeders and do not actually eat during their migration. This relatively young whale was starved to death and the lines that were tied around her tail to her mouth did not help her already fragile situation (Eye witness reports say that her tail was badly injured and probably broken). Or they are eating things they shouldn't, like this gray whale, which had a stomach full of trash.
And there was another whale just earlier this month, also starving and in need of help. It might be one of the whales found just this week beached further up the coast. There is also evidence that the Gray whale is changing it's behavior as Biologists: Group Of Gray Whales Staying In Puget Sound for food? For what, they aren't sure. All these incidents are connected.
There was nothing that could have been done for Lily. And she sought help from the people of Dana Point, she came to the Harbor, people were touched by her, I spoke to a woman who paddled next to her for an hour and was absolutely sure that Lily was trying to show her the netting tied to her tail and she kept telling me, I'm not some environmental crazy, I don't believe in this stuff, but she was trying to TELL ME SOMETHING. (When Clean the Ocean's for Lily had their Memorial Service for Lily, it was reported on in the local paper and I attended).
"Unfortunately there was nothing we could do for her, but we could do something for her now," said Heather Pritchard, an editor for OC Progressive, who followed Lilly's journey.
This is what it's about, there is something we can do now. There is something we can do now for the Oceans, for Lily the gray whale, for all Gray whales and for human beings who rely on the oceans for so much.
The front page piece today sums up some of the biggest news regarding climate change and it's impacts on the food chain in the ocean, notably the decline in phytoplankton, the food for much of what whales eat and all up the food chain to us.
You know, those small details.
It's all related. From how we grown OUR food on land, to how we farm our fish in the ocean, those tiny things add up, the cumulative affect of our actions matter.
And for me, when I care about what happens to the precious whales and dolphins of the ocean, those amazing creatures that my daughter adores seeing while we go on whale watching trips, it means that I care what happens to all of us.
What is the action you can do today? Urge congress to study the Gray Whale, by signing this petition, we want to know their numbers, what the affects of climate change is on their food supplies and their other activities.
Here is a great video about the Gray Whale and their summer stays in Baja where the give birth and are known for being very friendly to the visitors who come to see them. It's an amazing thing and something I hope to do someday.
And here is another Gray whale that beached itself earlier this month in Everett, WA. The locals helped keep it wet and as comfortable as possible. Another case of this amazing animal bringing people together.