A World Below

“See how elastic our stiff prejudices grow when love once comes to bend them.” Herman Melville’s mid-19th century novel immortalized the figure of the sperm whale. And while interpretations of a story can vary, the “antagonist” generally signified the raw power and ferocity of nature. Growing up with little knowledge of the whales themselves, I would distinctly envision the jagged teeth and aggressive nature of the animal based on the story alone. For nearly two centuries, these giants were hunted commercially for the waxy substance (spermaceti) found in their heads for which they are named. While commercial whaling was outlawed in 1986, the number of sperm whales is still recovering from the human impact. The animals are considered a vulnerable species today. When you join them in the water, the “man versus beast” narrative is instantly quashed. In the most common encounter with the whales, you witness a casual interest in your presence as they effortlessly swim past you. In the more unique encounters when you get to see the whales sleeping or socializing at the surface, you can’t help but draw a connection to them. They rub heads as they twirl amongst each other – the most graceful 40-ton ballet dancers that you will ever come across. They will “click” you inside-out, but only to make sense of their visitors. They are curious to your presence, but never threatening. It is in these moments in the seemingly endless expanses of the sea, watching the animals spend time with one another, that you begin to understand that their comfort comes from closeness, not distance; from touch, not personal space. You start to realize that we might just be more similar to these giants than we thought.