Whale Watching

When I was a child, my family took its first vacation together to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I vividly recall our whale watching trip. Everyone stood on one side of the boat, watching humpbacks in the distance surface and spout. Nervous, I wondered if the boat would tip over with so many on one side. So I moved to the other side of the boat to balance it with my 50 pounds and stared out at the empty sea. Suddenly, a massive whale surfaced right in front of me. Its side, covered with barnacles, brushed lightly against the boat. It was the largest live thing I had ever seen. Its eye was so much larger than my own. I screamed and ran inside the cabin, no longer caring about balance as everyone ran to the other side to see the whale close enough to touch. As humans continue to rock the ship we’re all sailing on, I hope my kids will one day have the opportunity to drop their jaws in awe at such a large live thing.