Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught Us

323 Pages·2002·6.75 MB·English

by  Alexandra Morton

LISTENING
TO WHALES
Whatth Oer caHsa vTea ugUhst
ALEXANDRA MORTON
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ISBN0 -345-43794-2
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ome nihgtsI h eawrh aleisn mdyr eamTsh.e ys taorftfd istant
likteh es ounodf w indi nt het rebeus tg raduaplilcyuk p to the
poinwth ere thaelyIl'c raenh earM.o stt imesc anIm akeo utw hich
podi sc alling-stihsett errasn,s iGe nctlsa,on r,a nyo fa d ozeont her
orcas sIp'evnnete aralq yu artoefar c entulriys tetnoiO.nn g a good
nighitt t'hse exqudiisailtseepc etc itfoti hce fa miloyf t hef iftoyu-rf­
year-moaltd riarch aTs seirtiioekfsra i,p plhianrgm onsiocps e rfect
iti mparat dse ep senpseea cioenfm e,l ikaes huddersiinggh .
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been a draeUa.m at
It runddloew nstaiinsr tso ckfieentgp, u tm y earto t heh ydor­
phonsep eakaenrd,h eaTrs itickaal ltionh ge r chilIdp rreenst.sh e
recobrudt toonnm y tape maacnhdni ontete h et imaen dd atien t he
sounldo g. sAonb de giannso thdeary woofr k.
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gledso wn1 5fee ti nttoh ew ateorf C ramePra ssaAg e.b laccakb le
snaekst hroutghhek elpu,pt her ockbye acthh,r oughs atlhbaerl u sh,
arounmdy kagl3er depna,s tth eg reenhoaunsdec hickceono pa,n d
upt hroutghhe fl oorboairndtsmo y housew,h icihs p erchoend a
lowb luoffn twhees tecrona sotfC anada.
Ib egimny morninwgist ah strocngu po fc otTeaetm y desk,
writing, ednatteoarr,si onrgt itnhgro ubglha ck-3nd-pwhhoittooesf
dorsfailm I.fl h ere ;m: now lulclsh 3d[a yt,h ef irssOtl lInh de airs
oftetni lcer .lcokrls eh rilci(l)pl lI.idnigww i tthh t.l'i ghtt.'olfIt ihneg
ALEXANDRA MOIl-TON
skyS.o metiImh eesao rt tcehrisr poirdn ogl phlientstl ionotgsh eo se
high-pittwcihtettdhe armtsa ke tshoeumnl di kmeo nkeyosn h e­
liuTmh.eh ydropdhooensedn i'stc rimMionroaettf eetn.h anno tI,
heatrh sec reoafmo utbomaortdo rThse.c omllliunnw hiitcyh I
livEec,hB oa yh,a nso roEavdesr.y goentaesr oubnybd o at.
Tos tuadw yi ladnl ui1ly,o um usatd aypotu lrei t foi trsh ythm.
Itt'hsoe n lwya yy oui'nlclr easceh aynoocufeer sn countyeoruirn g
sujbec:tl,Jp lecrlhm aoprsie m portiattn'htsoe, n ly ywoauyb' elgli n
tou ndershtoawyn odu sru bjeenccto unttheewr osr lWde. l and­
lockheudm aenxsp ereio eunsrcu rroiungnpsdr imatrhirloyuo guhr
eyelsa:na dn dv isiAo kni.l lers a wqhuaawltoeir'clc do metsoi ta l-
11leoxsctl ustihvreoluiygts hse nosfeh earwi3ntgae:nr sd o unLdi.v ­
inign E chBoa yh apsu mte ai n woarscl ldo assIec aCn0 1t1olt ehe
killers w wihtahaloceut'tu lailvluiynn dge rwater.
I'Cm0 I1S(l3iIst1ctaniniydln ogo kfiornw gh alAessI .w akmey
six-yedaaru-gohlctdoe orbk,r e.a1kbsfrtu,s myh t eettha,lo knt he
phonmey,e arre n1c3oicnkste odt hsep eakMeyre sy.ec sO l1st:lI1tly
SC3tnh wea tfeorrt hmci sptlyu moef wah albleo Iwp .r esse yIelsl y
J!:,a:rap ianoisfrht i gh-poawsetrreodn foimeiglcbdas lss cesv etnitmye s
ad ayp,a nnislnogw ly: Hblfadoc rkot vhe trh wea tearl,w ahyosp ing
fort hrei ;'sIe fnc:o!df :lll l o rcbal'asfc ikn e.s pIo'tvwtheadl wehsi le
Iv'eb eell gardenbirncgaw,dr ,ib tapikanipgne gbr rsa,i dmiyn g
daughltueirIr'v'e.Ss pototrecdwa hsi Ilve'eb eetna kians gh ower.
Andw henIs pootn eI,' gmo neI.n tIoyl b lo:lt-BlaSrOklfilas l!J/ d,
22-fdooorry -aonudOt i tlh wea teforl,l owinwgh atlwhehese rever
thetya kmee .In ote btrheeaitrih nitnegrr veaclotsrh,dse o untdhse y
makew,a tcthh eimn tewriatcthth weo rladr outnhde mIa .m t heir
shawd.o
Ic amhee rweh eInw ast wentyy-etaworols dI .' fmor ty-fnoouwr.
WhenIb egawna tchkiinlgwl hearl Ie st,h oucgohutsl idbtI ya ma­
rine paarlkl Idlt,la cnbrkyle ilsyt ecnriantcg:ik,cl ol.'d oef b nguagc
u\ebdy1 I11H1.''r f<molrlCillh�le g-lwdilh il.lN m\ In :.'dI ih .l/v\.·lto
ultlkr\lf,�llIlrll ld0. rllh'O wlhl(o they.1 1.\l' lhlot\!\t h eyI t11l1 \I0h vlr
LISTENINGT O W H ALES
environTmheenrater.s e o m any otthhientrgob s e l earfnoremd
kilwlhearl es.
Notlon gb eofrIef irasrvtre idh erpee,op lseh ootr cfaorss port.
Thewye rceo ndseirperde dawtoolrvsoe,fts hdee eSpm.a clhli ldren
wereen courtaogt ehdr orwo caktst hefmor ms horMea.r ipnaer ks
paifids hertmoes nt eianlf awnhta lfeorsm thmeoitrh emrosv,te h em
acrtohsceso ntiinnte rnltl ancdki sm,p ritshoeinmn c onrectt3e. nks.
Theg overnmtenrtit eocd u tlhle piorp ulawtiitmoha nc higunnes.
Thin1g1s3c .hanvgee d.I stn 'ow3. f edercarli tmoeh 3.arka islsl er
whalMea.r ipnaer 3k.snr oe longert oa Utkoaiwkleweldh e arlf oerms
AmeriacnandC anadwiaatne arlst,h otuhgheho rroofrc aptivity
contiOnuureus n.d erstoaftn hdkeii nlgwl hearslw eo'rhlads increased
exponen.W tei kanlolnwy owt haotr coarsg antihzeem seilnvtseoos ­
phistiscoactgieradol u apnsdd evesloompo ef t hset ronmgoetshte r­
child pboosnsdiTsbh leheyu. n wti tahm azsitenalght a nadre c apb3l.e
ofp rodigfaeitoosufl s :1e rning.T heiinrelt iglenceh ayse rto b ea de­
quateyl :1alynzed;i ndetehde,pi orw eorfsc ognimtaiyo n [b0e0
compelx for usa clltcr:1toie yq uantIinbfy ri.an opwert helyl ls:u1ry­
pasuss .
Thek ilwlhearlO ero,' lolr1clias5,f oundfr omt hUec aourfSte tao t he
WeddeSlelaa n idn e veOrCyC :i1nbn e tweiennc,l utdhiMene gd iter­
r:1nAelatnh.o ugh thteoty h oebr edlCeoernt g: 1wchei:ci1hn, c ludes
balewehnl:e s1l iktehge r :w1hy: 1le :w1lnlc3oi.r lcbe3al..suIr ener oe
closreellyat tode odl phainpndos pr oseis,w itwhh om tshheatyrh ee
suborOddeorn tocetiw h(atloeKosit)lhw.leh edar l esk noawranse
a" cosmopsopelciiestbaenc atuhseey l'evaern teods urviinvd ei ­
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verhsaeb iatraotlstl hngedl obOef.T theZ eNaelwca onadts hte,cy a t
stingIlndt YhsAe.n u rettihcee ya wth alaensdp enguOifTn st.h e
coaosftN orwatyh,e cya hte rriinng ;P atasgeolani ioain.nst ;h e
opePna cifsich,a riknJs a;p �smq,u iidnt; h eA ntilsleetasu ,r tles;
iltlh Iel ldOic,el1:ltIl.U1 l Jluas3.t.h <; u mahnUl letr-galllt.:rcrs ocieties
diflre"ld: li'Uollllle ,mobt,lhe\edr 0 11th eigre ograpchyl,i maatned,
t(lO\tOil ll\'0(I el.. ltvield ti'i 1"i:CrOclllIdlL lfi�ollclbt\y: v d; lroiroem, 1
ALEXANDRA MOR TON
Trallswiheallle"ls, ,a alleif ae male
populatgiiovnesrn i steo d iefrfinogr c"a culewsr,A"s Polynesians
diffferorm Eskimosso, dMoe diterraonrecaadnsi ffferorm theo rcas
plyitnhgew ateorls ltsmiyd cea bin,
Thek illwehra leosfB ritiCsohl umbairae o rganiizendtf oou r
communitnioerst:h errne sidesnotust,h errens idetnrtasn,s iaenntds ,
offshoorrec aCsO,l llflrlelfleltrlosia t byr eedipnogp ulatwihoanl,e s
thaatr ek nownt os wimt ogethaenrdp eaceasbhlayr e botahn dac alls
feedinagr eIaw ,o rkp redominawnittlthyh en ortherrne sidewnhtos ,
rangfer mo Pender Harab foewu rm,i lneosr tohf V ancouevrn,o rth
toP rinRcuep erjtu,ss to utohfK etchikAalna,s kWai,t hin ctohma­t
lIluneixtiyss itx tepeond sa,n o rcab'ass isco ciuanli atg ,r ouopf five
to twewnhtayls e whtor avel totgheeteihnret ri lriev es,
IItIhL t'w ellty-livIe' vSylpe"l", llwIlit't �hw il0d1 '((,i1l\hl,,' lYv geO (­
teltlo k nowI ll,l1w'\e llT.h L'kyl l{W)h\l\'' lI'" l"'lI 'l, lt"tI'l 'o1tlI 1l ly