The Day I Met the Whales

Dad would tell us story's of Whales that would swim around his fishing boat he would tell us how these gentle giants would gracefully sail past his nets and never touch them and never so much as nudge the boat.

I would read about Whales and gaze at pictures of them that we had in our school books, I so much wanted to see a real one for myself, I had been out on Dads fishing boat many times but none of those times would they visit. Every time I fished with Dad I would strain my eyes out over the deep blue ocean hoping to just have a glance at one of these majestic creatures.

One day it was raining and I could not play outside as usual, I read for a while and played with my toys and eventually settled down to watch television. By chance when just flicking through the channels I found a program about Whales, it was called endangered animals of the deep.

As I watched the program it explained how for many years Whales had been exploited for their blubber and despite international laws and treaties to protect them they were still being caught and killed by several nations. There was also lots of other information that I did not really understand, I did though wonder if I would ever get to see one or weather they would become extinct just like dinosaurs. Maybe we would only be able to see them on television and their photographs in books, how could people possibly kill these animals?

On the island where we lived there was a dock where Dad would tie up our boat it was a long structure that extended quite some distance out into the water. On days when all the boats were out fishing the dock would be a very peaceful place where you could walk out and only hear the sound of the waves and birds that would patiently wait for the return of the fishing boats and the chance of a free meal. I would often sit at the end of the dock and gaze down into the crystal clear blue water and watch the seaweed move back and forth with the ocean current. There were lots of fish down there they would dodge in and out of the weed as if trying not to be the next meal of some bigger fish.

This day in particular was really nice, Dad had left extra early for the fishing grounds with the really good weather he had hoped to net extra fish. There was not a ripple on the ocean and just about no breeze I was down the end of the dock when I heard a strange noise one that I had never heard before it was something like a distant whistle. As I peered over the dockside I just about lost my breath at the sight of two Whales, a mother and her calf. They did not move they just floated as if resting, they were so big.

These were the creatures of my dreams and at our dock they were so close I could almost reach out and touch them. I stared at them for what seemed like hours determined to absorb everything about them, color of their skin, the texture which seemed so smooth and shiny and the way it glistened in the midday sun. I could not get over their size as I stared down at their vastness, which disappeared down into the water as far as I could see.

Then in an instant they submerged and were gone, I felt so happy my dreams had been answered but one thing I did know we must save the Whales.