The return of the Grey.

Fifty to Eighty percent of the world’s oxygen is derived from the ocean and the magnificent creatures returning to our waters this week are primary contributors to this ratio; the “mechanic” in the engine that makes this possible.

It is called the “Whale Pump”, and an exceptionally beautiful example of sacred reciprocity.

These gentle souls do not produce this oxygen directly, instead they “farm” the phytoplankton; microscopic marine plants that function like floating forests consuming C0₂ and ultimately releasing oxygen through their photosynthesis.

As they dive to the seafloor to feed, scooping up vast quantities of sediment, amphipods and invertebrates and filtering it through their baleen, nutrients from the sea floor are redistributed throughout the water column inviting plankton, fish, sea birds and other marine life to dine on the abundance.

This redistrubtion, both horizontally and vertically, is key to fertiziling ocean systems.

The entirety of their feeding cycles are integral to oceanic wellbeing. Even their waste products, their feces, are rich in iron and nitrogen; nutrients that are integral to phytoplankton growth and ultimately carbon sequestration.

These silent beings, so alien to our landlocked bodies, through the gentle undulations of their underwater dance gift our species with the invisible gases we need to continue our earthly journey.

Notice how your body feels when contemplating receiving such rich cross species gifts?

What emotions are “stirred up”? How will you move them through your body?

What steps can you take to contribute to the health of our oceans, and the lifespan of these gentle more than human individuals?

Our world is full of noise, with the loudest often dominating our attention. Contemplate the contributions of those that offer their gifts silently, without asking to be noticed.

Altruism in it’s purest form. The living emodiment of sacred reciprocity.

Standing alone, on a rocky shore, in the quiet of a grey morning the silence broken by an exhale offshore. An exhale, that if encountered closely enough will bless you with a mist that immerses you in the breath of a grey whale.

The annual grey whale migration past the BC west coast begins this week. First through solitary males, and then followed by pods of breeding females all heading to northern waters to perform the annual rhythmic seduction and begin raising their young.

Following ancient coastal routes, that are held in their collective memory, this annual migration is a ceremony in continuity that can span upwards of 20,000km encompassing the full return.

Those routes are passed down through their bodies, from one generation to the next across muscle, song, magnetism and ancestral knowing; affirming their relationship to place that spans millennia.

Their movement is how life remains in relationship, binding ecosystems together. This more than human relational undertaking is a beautiful reminder that our planet stays whole and healthy through movement, return and participation.

This journey asks us to consider our own migrations, how we leave, how we return and what we nourish simply by passing through. It is immersing ourselves in deep time.

Witnessing a whale “blow” on the shore is a powerful moment of exchange - of reciprocity between species. The oxygen molecules entering your lungs may have been produced by a phytoplankton bloom that emerged through the fertilization from that whale’s ancestors….

READ THE FULL ESSAY HERE →

The Invitation 

Weekly nature connection practices aligned seasonally to engage with your locale. Encouraging immersion, appreciation and spiritual attunement with the more than human world around you.

^{Always remember to enjoy these practices within the bounds of your physical and ecological limits (do not sit outside when it’s -40, or walk on slippery surfaces), practice “leave no trace” and mindful reciprocity (take only what you need, ask permission from the earth, and only leave what is naturally biodegradable)}

A Final Note

Singing the Earth

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Nature. Connected.