Status Updates From The Killer Whale Journals: ...

‘Why—bother? What in the behaviour of animals—or maybe in their being—elicits our compassion enough that we go through the trouble—picking up a bird that has fallen out of its nest—despite the obvious inconveniences? The answer seems to be that we recognise ourselves in others. Even though whales live in an environment that is completely foreign to us—we still connect to them. Humans are empathic beings by nature.’

‘A pilot whale from Vaagø in the Faroe Islands—collected in 1844—jaws are locked in a perpetual grin—midnight sun and blue skies. Flying into Iceland is like landing on a foreign planet—a barren landscape of surprising colours. Silvery veins—glacial meltwater transverse a terrain of black, yellow, bronze. But something changed—fishermen now saw the orcas' presence as good omen—Where there are whales, there are fish.’

‘My fascination with them left me unprepared for the strong emotions of fear & hatred they elicit in people. How are they perceived as a threat & a competitor in some places while revered & admired in others? Orcas are unconcerned with our attitudes. They don’t need our love or our hatred. How we understand & interact with them is instead a reflection of ourselves & how we want to live with the complexity of others—’

‘Orcas breathe air like us, they love, they mourn—How we—humans choose to live with the natural world’s apex predators will define who we are to future generations. Were we hunters who merely wanted to subjugate them & lead them to ultimate extinction or were we seeking a way to coexist in peace? Ultimately, what we decide will not only shape the world the orcas live in but the world we ourselves will be living in.’