Last night a whale became stranded on a sand bank in the Estuary I live beside and spend my weekends kayaking. We watched from a distance feeling helpless as the whale struggled to free itself. The local coast guard and surf club arrived in boats and attempted to save the whale. Unfortunately, this story had a sad ending.

Tonight, I went for a walk down to the area where the whale met its fate. I could see the sand bank and found myself thinking about it’s life and tragic end. One moment you are swimming gracefully in the ocean and then you are not.

It made me think about the reaction of people. Many people had gathered watching. A small group of people sprang into action getting in boats and attempted a rescue. A dude thought the best life choice was to post a “The Department of Conservation as F**ing useless” comment on the community Facebook page (I disagree with his assessment).

The entrance to the Avon-Heathcote Estuary (red dot = whale stranding location)

I can’t help but think, despite the sad ending, this whale was a gift. It helped us switch off from the mundane normality of life and for a moment, think about something else. Something much more important. Suddenly, my local community became concerned and tried to help. It is a natural human instinct deep within almost all of us and something we often see when disaster strikes. Perhaps the dude on Facebook just has trouble expressing himself.

Living by the Estuary gives me a daily reminder of how interconnected we are with nature and the importance of the natural world. The Godwit’s that migrate from Alaska, the Heron’s catching fish in the shallows, the Stingray gliding beside the sea wall, the chatter of Oyster Catchers, we have it all right here.

If you look a bit closer, you also see bits of rubbish tossed carelessly into the environment and making their way down rivers and into the estuary. We can’t swim here after heavy rain due to the storm water overflow. Historically we pumped industrial waste into the estuary. Many people fish and collect shellfish here. The whale made me think about how fragile this environment is. The more we connect with it, the more we appreciate and value it.

I’m glad I took that walk tonight. I am glad I thought about the whale. I switched off for a moment and enjoyed the nature around me, while I mourned the whale. Rest in peace.