Today marks my first official day as an Ocean Institute volunteer. On most days, I expect to cheerily answers phones, sign guests up for one of the many exciting and educational programs, and just try to be all around helpful. Other days, like today, will be a little more exciting: halfway through my first shift, we were notified of a GRAY WHALE swimming the harbor! Secretly, I was bouncing off the walls with excitement (because I LOVE SEALIFE!!) and just itching to get out there for a look. The kind folks at the Ocean Institute did me one better and actually invited me on a small boat to help try to direct the whale out of the harbor and back to sea. So that's what I spent the last hour of my first ever shift at the Ocean Institute doing: whale herding using various noises to irritate the whale back out to sea. Definitely, the best first day I've ever experienced at a job!
Sadly, my excitement quickly lapsed as we caught our first glimpse of the whale. It seemed so lethargic, breaching every 2-3 minutes just to breathe before diving back down to the bottom of the harbor for some more R&R. There was heavy algae growth along its back, indicative of inactivity, and a cord or netting wrapped around the its fluke. Another sad tale of human waste recycled into hurtful animal traps. It seemed that the whale had entered the calm harbor waters to rest on its migration towards Alaska, or more likely, to pass in peace. I guess it's just further reinforcement for the importance of child and public education on marine conservation and motivation for me to continue my involvement with the Ocean Institute!
