- 'Keep her facing the waves... Careful, careful, her fin is stuck under... Nate, when last did she breathe?.. Watch out guys, she's turning..!!'
- 'This one seems so tired, I think she's gonna die...'
- 'NOT ON MY WATCH!'
And so it went, desperate people in wetsuits holding onto lithe, agile, graceful bodies rendered helpless and vulnerable by gravity, sand washing into gentle eyes, blow-holes gasping for air through crashing waves.
Around 40 pilot whales beached themselves today. Peaceful Kommetjie beach about 20min from my house turned into a scene from a horror movie today as surfers, divers, volunteers, scientists... anybody with a heart really, turned up to try and convince our beautiful ocean friends to reconsider their choice and please please please swim back to sea. The first whale we got to we started calling Notchy for the big notch taken out of her dorsal fin. She lay gasping in shallow water, and after much deliberating it was decided that the best plan was to try swim four whales stranded quite close together out to sea at the same time, as it was a whole family pod that was stranded together, we hoped helping several back out to sea at the same time would help them to keep swimming. I have never done this before, my exquisite sea mammal experiences have until today been confined to healthy happy mammals telling me to love life. It broke my heart into a million pieces to have the tables turned, to be the one convincing these lovers of life to please please please swim back out.
We maneouvered Notchy out into deeper water and swam her through the ever growing swell. Waves thundered at us, one picked me up threw me over tumbling- human whale human whale I tried to keep her head pointing towards the ocean, 'please dearest don't turn back!!'
We stayed with her as long as we could, far out at sea, until she dived down and we lost track. And then,
further off we saw four whales together swimming away. We whooped with joy, tired arms legs lungs getting new energy.
Fighting the current and the large swell to get back to shore my heart froze as I saw a whale swim past me, fast, strong, powerful- right up the beach, only to land there, thrashing her flukes. 'Nooo!!" I scream, can't stop myself. A tired man not far from me meets my broken gaze, he shakes his head, 'soul destroying'. I nod. And run.
I think we managed to rescue around 20 whales, but as I write this, scientist are setting up to euthenase another 34 beautiful creatures, who just cannot seem to make it back, and keep coming back.
Dear god, let me never have to see this ever again.
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Saturday, 16 May 2009
The Southern-most tip of Africa!
If you have an insatiable, inexplicable, unstoppable and all-consuming love for the ocean- and you haven't been to Cape Town, then you're a liar... or need to travel more.
Coming back to Cape Town has been like seeing a lover after months of absence and years of solitude.
My friend Steve has brought a boat to Cape Town, and Steve, like me, is unashamedly in love with the ocean- although he might express himself more manly... Nevertheless, we understand each other and the sea. Steve and I plan to unlock, explore and savour all the treasures of our beloved Peninsula. Our first trip was legendary.
We launched the boat off Miller's point, into flat, calm blue water. Looking down into the water I let out a shriek- 'It's like Thailand, with Kelp!' Top to bottom visibility: white sand with tall dark kelp rising up off the bottom, swaying in the current like the spirits of the deep come to play.
I had brought two very green girlfriends along, experienced surfers, truthfully, but freediving? It was more like, 'um, equalisation?' so Steve and I decided to ease them into it... ah, a perfect plan made in the most perfect of ways...
First we stopped at a beautiful reef outcrop (reef my side of the world, think dark rocks covered in colourful urchins, kelp forests and sheepish looking shy sharks- no Nemo here...) anyway, the girls got to pull themselves up and down the kelps testing ears and breathhold, both doing exceptionally well.
Next stop, a seal colony. We continued further down the coast, to a stinky rock covered in seals, the most perfect playmates for three ocean loving girls.
So, the most perfect plan was to get dropped just south of the seals, swim with the current and waves to them, play a while, then swim past the rocks to get picked up the other side again by the boat... sounds simple?
Firstly, Steve's words, said softly so Roxy and Kim couldn't hear, 'Han, stay close to the rocks, keep your eyes open, all directions'. Seals, False Bay, deep water= Great Whites. 'Gulp, sure, no worries Steve- come on girls!'
Eyes peeled, finning hard for the rock, current strong waves bigger than expected, and suddenly we're off course wih huge swell running over a barely submerged rock and we're tumbled, white water, lost my snorkel... look over my shoulder for my friends, 'dear god, let me not kill my friends today' seeing Kim's slightly dishevelled but smiling face, 'easing us in genlty, are you?' we burst out laughing and call for the boat. This time less plan more precision, drop next to the seals and yes! They flash past us, closer closer closer, their curiosity making them spin around us like bees to pollen. One little seal caught up in the moment took a quick bite at Roxy's fin before joyfully leaping over Kim's shoulder and then speeding up to me diving down and between my legs, three girls in the big blue surrounded by ecstatic seal-friends laughing joyfully!
Coming back to Cape Town has been like seeing a lover after months of absence and years of solitude.
My friend Steve has brought a boat to Cape Town, and Steve, like me, is unashamedly in love with the ocean- although he might express himself more manly... Nevertheless, we understand each other and the sea. Steve and I plan to unlock, explore and savour all the treasures of our beloved Peninsula. Our first trip was legendary.
We launched the boat off Miller's point, into flat, calm blue water. Looking down into the water I let out a shriek- 'It's like Thailand, with Kelp!' Top to bottom visibility: white sand with tall dark kelp rising up off the bottom, swaying in the current like the spirits of the deep come to play.
I had brought two very green girlfriends along, experienced surfers, truthfully, but freediving? It was more like, 'um, equalisation?' so Steve and I decided to ease them into it... ah, a perfect plan made in the most perfect of ways...
First we stopped at a beautiful reef outcrop (reef my side of the world, think dark rocks covered in colourful urchins, kelp forests and sheepish looking shy sharks- no Nemo here...) anyway, the girls got to pull themselves up and down the kelps testing ears and breathhold, both doing exceptionally well.
Next stop, a seal colony. We continued further down the coast, to a stinky rock covered in seals, the most perfect playmates for three ocean loving girls.
So, the most perfect plan was to get dropped just south of the seals, swim with the current and waves to them, play a while, then swim past the rocks to get picked up the other side again by the boat... sounds simple?
Firstly, Steve's words, said softly so Roxy and Kim couldn't hear, 'Han, stay close to the rocks, keep your eyes open, all directions'. Seals, False Bay, deep water= Great Whites. 'Gulp, sure, no worries Steve- come on girls!'
Eyes peeled, finning hard for the rock, current strong waves bigger than expected, and suddenly we're off course wih huge swell running over a barely submerged rock and we're tumbled, white water, lost my snorkel... look over my shoulder for my friends, 'dear god, let me not kill my friends today' seeing Kim's slightly dishevelled but smiling face, 'easing us in genlty, are you?' we burst out laughing and call for the boat. This time less plan more precision, drop next to the seals and yes! They flash past us, closer closer closer, their curiosity making them spin around us like bees to pollen. One little seal caught up in the moment took a quick bite at Roxy's fin before joyfully leaping over Kim's shoulder and then speeding up to me diving down and between my legs, three girls in the big blue surrounded by ecstatic seal-friends laughing joyfully!
I'm home.
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