Domenic Biagini
Today was far and away the most heartbreaking day I’ve ever had on the water. Erica and I were enjoying some beautiful weather and sea conditions, when I saw the unmistakable “wiggle” of a newborn baby gray whale on the surface. As I prepared the drone, a nagging feeling of foreboding began to linger in the back of my mind. It had only been a minute, but it was a little unusual that I hadn’t seen a mom come to the surface yet. “With how flimsy its tail is, maybe it was literally just born,” I said to Erica. Deep down I think I already knew the heartbreaking truth. As the drone made it to the calf, my worst suspicion was confirmed: there was no mom. For one reason or another this completely dependent calf was on its own. We can only guess as to why. Maybe mom died in childbirth? Worse, maybe mom was hit by a ship, or became fatally entangled in fishing gear. As many of you know, the 2020s were incredibly hard on Gray Whales. The population declined by 50% in less than a decade, primarily due to malnutrition. Lack of food in their summer feeding grounds has been well-documented: a consequence of a warming ocean. While it’s believed the Gray Whale population has stabilized in the last year or so, it’s hard to not feel completely disheartened by a sighting like this. The young whale approached our boat multiple times, likely in a desperate attempt to nurse from our hull. We of course kept our boat completely still at a distance, but it’s clear this little whale was looking for any source of sustenance it could find. Erica and I fought back tears as I made phone calls to every expert and authority I could think of, wishing there was a way to help this whale. The only facility equipped to even try to help a young Gray Whale would be Seaworld, but by law no whale can be taken from its natural environment unless it were to live-strand on a beach. Knowing this whale is facing imminent starvation with no way to feed itself makes me wish some laws had exceptions. I wish there was more I could think of to say, but for now I’m going to leave it at that.
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01-13
Comments
4706
01-13
It came over to asking for help 💔 my heart hurts
3349
01-13
The baby whale met a nice adult female whale right after you left. She took care of him like he was her son and they swam off into the sunset together. He’s totally fine and safe. ❤️ let’s go with this story.
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01-13
Heartbreaking
26
01-13
If @seaworldsandiego made headlines by doing what was right and not what is lawful in this circumstance, there would be more people defending the righteous actions of #seaworld instead of protesting against them. Unfortunately this doesn’t turn a profit and “drive value for shareholders”.
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01-14
I really hate this, I was happy 5 seconds ago… now I’m in tears, poor little baby 💔
9
01-13
Wow this is so sad. Some laws need to be changed.
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01-13
😭
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01-13
💔💔💔💔
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01-13
I’m so sorry you and @erica.sackrison had to experience this… nature can be brutal. Most of it is a mystery and today was a heartbreaker. Thinking about you both ♥️💔
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01-13
My heart 💔
2
01-13
Omg that's awful. Totally awful 😢😢😢
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01-13
This reminds me of when Sea World took in JJ….not an ideal place to go but they were able to care for her until she could be released. What would need to be done to be able to change certain laws?
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01-14
This is horrible and we need to do better as humans. I can’t believe that not one Wildlife placecould not have helped. And I thought seaworld doing better.
1
01-13
Heartbreaking 💔😭
0
01-13
my heart is broken 😭
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Mads Peter Iversen Photography
One photo from a landscape photography travel destination followed by one photo from Denmark my home country. Once it clicked and I figured I could probably get something along the same lines as what I’ve captured out there in world, whether it’s the same conditions, same subject, same technique or same composition, it became soooo much more fun to shoot at home. It really did change my photography forever! No we still don’t have mountains, epic waterfalls, cracking glaciers, puffins, whales and big deserts, but we have so many other things. Check out my latest video on YouTube where I teach you to photograph locally. AND if you want to dig even further into local landscape photography be sure to get me and @nigel.danson course on Mastering Local Landscape Photography.In this 4+ hour and 13 video course we’ll be teaching you how to find great locations, how to use them optimally, what strategies to use to optimise your chance of getting great photos, what to do on location, how to compose, edit and print what you capture, what apps to use and much more! This ENTIRE course can be yours for only $99! Check it out via the link in my bio 🤓
