THE WHALE FALL



While the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul on 29th June honours all fishermen, it was the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (WFF) who initiated International Fisherman Day in 1998 during it's conference of over 50 nations in New Delhi, India...

Dedicated to those who brave the rough seas to gather seafood for the world, the day aims to spread the importance of marine life care and preservation of the lively oceans. The theme for 2025 is -
"Catalyzing Sustainable Fisheries and Responsible Aquaculture Action for People, Ocean, and Climate."

By sheer coincidence this morning I happened to read an article, as titled above, on marine mammals. Certainly they have a lot to teach us...

It is said that a "whale fall" - death of a whale - sets up a local ecosystem, and as the carcass hits the ocean floor it becomes nourishment for the deep sea inhabitants; a life gone, yet leading to sustenance for a thousand more...

Whales are said to absorb carbon from the atmosphere, which sink with the carcass as they fall to the seafloor, thus cooling the planet in death...

Whales are said to sing with words, the sound energy powerful enough to cross oceans, and are regarded as notes of affection in it's primal form...

Whilst diving deep it is said that the whales' heartbeats fall to single digits a minute, as if to whisper to us to stay calm, and to always move with grace...

The once feared monsters, whales are in fact  the 'gentle giants' and 'wisdom-keepers' of the sea, quite aptly the marine counterparts of the terrestrial compassionate elephants...

And both remind us that true greatness doesn’t need noise; melody would suffice. They remember. They give. And when the time comes, they transform...

"To have a huge, friendly whale willingly approach your boat and look you straight in the eye is without doubt one of the most extraordinary experiences on the planet."

                          ~ Mark Carwardine

🙏🙏

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