With the sample secured tight and Tom
safely back in his yellow case, we make for
land. The boat is still abuzz with energy and
exuberance. Were we successful? Time
will tell. As I look across the approaching
land I see the blinding sand hills and
greenery in the distance. It reminds me of all
my unbelievable experiences over the years
along this far-reaching stretch of shoreline. We
are so blessed to have the whales back, and to
still have one of the cleanest and most diverse
marine environments on earth running from
the border to the cape. The sands, the rivers,
the reefs and the bays, they are all unique
and valuable. I want to bring my son here one
day and show him, I want to tell him all the
wondrous stories and pass down the history as to him, as it came to me.
When I first heard about the snot expeditions,
I had a laugh like most would, but now I see
something much greater. The search for
knowledge from within these graceful sea
creatures is really a search within ourselves.
We share their warm blood, their family bonds,
their connection to each other and the places
they belong to. What we find out there on the
sea, might just be something that can save us
here on the land.
It’s been an experience like no other, to know
that one day we will look back down the sands
of time and perhaps know that it all started
here, with one crazy guy and one idea that
grew. This coastline, these whales, you, me and
our children’s children, we are all intrinsically
connected and dependent whether we directly
see it or not. As we crash through the breakers
and the bow strikes terraferma our gracious
host Dr Olaf Meynecke finishes up our sea
journey with an almost prophetic summary “The whales are great, they’re here, people
can see them and see how beautiful life can
be, and how wonderful it could be to just live
together. They are a great carrier - a carrier of
a message. I hope for us, and I hope for the
whales, we’re going to solve some disease
problems over the next few years and teach
people about the intricacies of whale biology
and life itself. Hopefully this will open a window
for us, where we might just learn something
about ourselves.” //
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