Monday, August 11, 2008

Touched by the whale


The following story goes back about two or three years. it took place at Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California, Mexico.
I went with friends for watching the Gray Whale, these creatures come to Laguna San Ignacio and the adjacent Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, (better known under the name of the adjacent town, Guerrero Negro)to give birth and for the first months of the young whales.


It is also the famous place of the "friendly whales" a rather unique phenomenon: whales get interested in the human whalewatchers and come so close to the boats that they can be touched with bare hands (Photo above). I had gone to Guerrero Negro before twice,  it is quite spectacular: The whales come right to the boat and can be easily touched. One gets to rub a whales back as if it was a cow in the field (the breath smells similar!!! thats the reason I use this comparison)
The two times in Guerrero Negro,I had plenty of opportunity to touch whales.
Now this visit when we came to Laguna San Ignacio instead, it was different: It was earlier during the year so the mating was still going on, the sea was wilder as it was windy and the whales had "better things to do" than to mingle with curious humans (who wouldn't understand that a pretty whale lady prefers a handsome whale guy over a boat with tourists????

Now here comes me, the crazy brain tumor patient with a little detour: Since I as a child, I have this odd habit that I like to make bets on things and the outcome of those bets should tell my future: when we came to San Ignacio: I decided "OK if I can touch a whale I will get out of this brain tumor thing alive. (I thought, coming from my previous experience, that this will be easy).
But it wasn't. I basically had given up up already when the boat turned back. One whale (probably an older female), however headed to our boat. I reasoned it must be older, because of the size of course, and because she was neither with a calf nor engaged in the mating activities. She dived underneath the boat, I did not expect much, as the whales seemed rather unaccessible this time. But still as I had my bet going on, I put my hand as deep in the water as possible. And while diving under our boat the whale turned to its back and TOUCHED MY FINGERS VERY LIGHTLY WITH ONE OF ITS SIDE-FINS!!! It was definitely NOT me touching the whale, but the whale TOUCHING ME,  INTENTIONALLY (so it felt)!!! I was marveled. it felt unbelievable. like a confirmation from a higher authority, the "high committee of the species of gray whales" had decided: "Thomas, you will make it!!!" I will never forget this moment.
Since then I say to myself "Thomas, nothing can happen to you: you were touched by the whale"I know how weird this might sound: making bets on my life about weird natural phenomena which have no real relationship with me or my disease. Anyway, apart from all the reasoning, it gave me confidence and maybe thats what I needed more than anything else. Thank you, you unknown whale!!!! regardless!!