By Mary O’KEEFE

One of the legacies of learning my parents left me was empathy. I have always lived by, “There but for the grace of God go I.” I was taught to put myself in other’s shoes and treat others the way I would want to be treated. But I was taught empathy not only by my parents; I learned from teachers, ministers, friends and even total strangers. I saw what difference it could make to a person’s life when someone cared. I saw friends reach out to others who felt isolated, I saw teachers focus on students who were afraid to speak up and give them courage and I watched as people in my church ministered to the hungry. Each time they reached out to others I learned the act of caring and of empathy.

One of the best memories I have is of my Uncle Dean, who was possibly the kindest man on the planet. His empathy for others went beyond humans and extended to animals. Uncle Dean was the “Dr. Doolittle” of our family. He, my aunt and cousins lived on a farm and they had a variety of animals. I loved going to their farm because Uncle Dean’s eyes lit up the minute he saw his dogs, cats, pigs, quails and everything else. He spoke to them as if they understood what he was saying, and I think they really did understand him. I saw quails look up at him when he spoke and then move in the direction he told them to move. He showed true empathy not only toward the animals he cared for but for other beings, like lost dogs and cats.

Having empathy can be a double-edged sword, however; those commercials that show mistreated animals just about kill me. But they also taught me that we are all God’s creatures. We are all of the Earth, which brings me to the topic of this little (well, little is a relative term) killer whale calf trapped in a Vancouver Island lagoon.

Below is information according to The Canadian Press:

On March 23, the 2-year-old female calf was trapped and alone after her pregnant mother became trapped on a rocky beach at low tide and died. The calf is trapped near Little Espinosa Inlet about 279 miles northwest of Victoria, Canada.

“The British Columbia First Nation is at the center of a complex attempt to rescue [the] young killer whale that was stranded in a tidal lagoon,” according to the Vancouver Sun.

The Fisheries Dept. last week shared drone images and stated the calf remained active in the lagoon and that crews were monitoring her with minimal disturbance. The department is planning a rescue to transfer the calf to open sea but did not say when that would begin.

The Ehattesaht First Nation located in Zeballos has been leading the rescue operation along with the Fisheries Department and other marine mammal experts.

Chief Simon John said he expects the Jet Ranger helicopter that the band has for forestry work will be used to look for the calf’s family pod, according to the North Delta Reporter. John said equipment for the planned rescue has started to arrive in their remote community.

A heavy lift machine the First Nation also uses in forestry work will arrive in Zeballos this weekend and could be used in the rescue effort, reads the North Delta Reporter.

The rescue effort includes multiple organizations, the Canadian government and tribal agencies. There had been an attempt to save the mother, who was estimated to be about 15 years old, but that was unsuccessful.

The rescue attempts to move the calf, which has been named Brave Little Hunter, are ongoing.

The rescuers spoke of being so close to the mother whale and feeling hopeless as they tried to save her. I can only imagine what that mother may have felt as she realized she could not save herself or her calf.

“There are many reports of whales and dolphins exhibiting a variety of behaviors that can be associated with certain emotions,” according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation USA.

“Spindle neurons – the specialized brain cells thought to process our emotions and that even may enable us to love and suffer – have been found in whales,” according to ScienceDirect.com.

The monitoring of the calf continues as does the rescue planning.

Unfortunately, whales in trouble are not uncommon sights. In fall 2023, scientists reported an “alarming rise” in whale carcasses washing in from the Atlantic Ocean.

“Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned over the number of dead whales, an animal that provides a lens into the general condition of the ocean and the beings that reside there,” Chris Robbins, associate director of science for Ocean Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit, told ABC News in an article titled, “Ocean scientists concerned over uptick of whale deaths on northeast coasts.”

“They’re like the marine equivalent of the canary in the coal mine in that they’re giving us insights into the health of the broader marine ecosystem by how they respond to various drivers and threats of the ocean,” Robbins said.

The exact cause of why these whales are washing ashore is not known; however, climate change is probably playing a role as the ocean water temperature rises.

Now what caused the mother orca to swim down the wrong lagoon is not known and at this point the “why” is not as important as the “what now?”

I will continue to monitor the process of Brave Little Hunter, and let you know when he is freed.

I have read that there are some who think empathy should not be taught by anyone but the parent but I thank God that is not the majority’s view. I am grateful that there are so many trying to save this calf and believe “there but for the grace of God …” And I hope the world continues to watch and learn.

We have been enjoying nice warm weather for the past few days but that’s about to stop as of Friday. Temperatures are expected to drop 10 degrees, from 82 today to 72 on Friday. And then there is rain, under an inch of rainfall is expected but it will be with us all weekend. The rain is expected to start Friday night and increase overnight into Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures by Sunday will be around 59 degrees. Monday and Tuesday should be in the upper 60s with no rain, according to NOAA.