Today, a friend of mine asked if I’d seen footage of a large group of whales who gathered for the birth of a new baby whale.
I looked up the video - a team of researchers who are trying to understand the communication sounds of sperm whales was observing and documenting a group and just happened to stumble into the middle of the birth. As I watched, I was amazed by the sense of community exhibited by these massive, majestic creatures. And it wasn’t just the whales… other sea creatures showed up for the baby shower.
Watch the video for yourself! (just over 2 minutes)
It’s truly awe-inspiring.
Then something very interesting happened…
The YouTube algorithm suggested another video from The New Yorker.
A video also about whales.
But this one was called:
What Whales Can Teach Us About Mortality.
In early 2021 a dead fin whale washed ashore on a beach in southern Israel. In this powerful 15 minute video, the filmmaker zeros in on the impact that this had on the people who came to bear witness to the death. Some very poignant and insightful moments.
I wonder what reaction it would have elicited from you?
Life begins and life ends. The question is: what are we doing with the time in between?