From One Mother to Another
See the part that is sticking out? It isn't supposed to look like that.
Georgia DNR- NOAA Permit 18786-04
To see the injury, look in the top right portion of the whale in this photo. The part that is lighter in color is a deep injury.
As soon as my heart rose with the news of a fourth right whale calf, it fell just as hard when I learned that this little one had already been critically injured in his or her first days of life. The propellers of a passing boat sliced the newborn’s head, possibly beyond repair. A NOAA biologist said that if he or she were a human baby, they would be in an Intensive Care Unit.
My heart aches for this calf’s mom, Derecha. I have ridden in the back of an ambulance with both of my children at different times. I have held vigil at their bedsides in an ICU. I have been terrified. My chest tightens just writing this because a mother never shakes that agony. It rewrites your DNA, and it is forever part of you.
I cannot pretend to understand the bond between Derecha and her child. I do not know if she understands the severity of her little one’s injury, but I need only to be reminded of Tahlequah to know she will be devastated if her baby does not survive. For 17 days, Tahlequah, a Southern Resident orca, carried the body of her calf with her for over 1,000 miles. Her grief was visceral and agonizing. Her DNA is forever changed.
As a scientist, I know I’m not supposed to “anthropomorphize” and attribute human feelings or values to animals, but who am I to assume that grief, fear, joy, jealousy, anger, or even love, are gifted only to humans? I have no doubts that my dogs get jealous when attention is not evenly distributed, nor do I question that they feel love, anxiety, and grief. Emotion is not exclusive to humans.
Since 2017, at least 30 endangered North Atlantic right whales have died by tragic and preventable accidents… either by being entangled in fishing gear or by being hit by passing boats. Over that same time period, just 12 calves were born. I started this right whale calving season counting calves, one….two… three… Derecha’s calf was number four. I am no longer counting. This is not a time to count. This is a time to hold vigil for Derecha and her calf.
Derecha - Stay strong. I know from personal experience that miracles do happen. All of your fellow mothers are pulling for you.
Little one - Fight as hard as you can. Your mother won’t leave your side and we need you to be her miracle.
To stay informed about how you can help ensure a safer future for Derecha and her family, please consider joining our right whale first responder pledge.
For updates on Derecha's calf, NOAA is updating this page.
[shariff]
Thanks for writing this. We should not anthropomorphize they say, but if we did more it would bring more compassion and empathy, tracking more support. It is my personal opinion. Talequah would not have invested such energy and calories to move her dead calf for weeks if she was not emotionally driven to do so.
I feel for them and I am hoping for good news for the calf. It looks cut though the bone and baleen and I am not sure it can heal. I was reading an article about the healing qualities to bubbler.. not sure about the jaw or if the human properties known to breast milk can help the calf heal if he can even feed. I got my head wrapped around it because It makes me so mad. I live in GA and found people riding boats on the coast to be careless. This anger and feelings prompted me to Sign more petitions and share awareness.
My heart is broken… humans just can’t stop being disrespectful of Mother Nature! They can’t pay attention, clean up after themselves!!! Respect!! Let’s start with that!! Try it… use it and for Gods sake… wake up!!! You’re actions are destructive and has devastating affects on nature!! Shame on whom ever wasn’t paying attention!!!!!! If this baby dies it’s on your hands!