Humpback Whales Archives

Tender & Gentle–Humpback Whales Part III

By Simone Lipscomb | March 1, 2016

Tuesday--The day begin with more moon, stars and sea yoga. Practicing with the elements is transformational. I wonder if that’s how it was done long ago…in the beginning. As I practiced I heard to allow the Divine Feminine to shine through me and to come from love. Always come from love in all that I do.

Sunrise found me dancing on the flying bridge in celebration of the day. There is something to be said for dancing with wild abandon with the sunrise after ‘working’ with moon, star and sea energies during yoga practice.

Breakfast, preparing for a day on the Ocean….check dry camera and telephoto lens, check underwater housing…a quick dunk in the camera tank to insure it’s watertight. Fins, mask, snorkel, wetsuit, dry bag with dry camera and other dry stuff….ready to go!

Our day with whales began with a sweet couple. A female and male escort allowed us to view their dreaming. Once again I had the opportunity to meditate with whales for an extended period of time. At-one-ment. This was happening while a complete rainbow arched overhead. I reached a point where I was beyond, beyond blissed-out and so just floated in meditation…rainbow overhead, whales below.

Again I was convinced that whales are not sleeping. Not really. I think it is whale dreaming. When they ‘slept’ I joined them in their whale dreams, in the whale dreamtime. I went into that perfect energy of stillness and silence and connected to that vast mind known as whale.

During my time with this couple, I spent time conveying the messages people sent to them through me. I threw them kisses from Jean. I gave them air hugs from Glenda. I shared Michelle’s message…”Free, I am!” I told them Roxanne sends her love and concern. Jaime’s message asking for forgiveness from them for our abuse of Mother Earth and for communal insight and empathy was shared. Helena’s message of love, love, love, love, love, love and gratitude was shared. I gave them Kolek’s message…and Fran’s. I shared Michael’s message and Debbie’s and asked them to stay away from nets and to accept apologies for human behaviors. And Debbie A’s message of thanks for unknown blessings and Pat’s message of love for the ocean, planet and all life. And Debbie H’s message of love. And Barb’s message of apology for human behavior and our love for them. And Barbara’s message of “Love, love, LOVE!”

Tears flowed into my mask as I remembered and shared these messages. I felt receptive hearts and minds listening carefully.

Going into the Vastness of the Whale Mind…I felt gifted with an energetic pattern that will assist me in many ways. Communing with sentient, aware beings through the heart and mind is powerful Medicine.

After a couple rounds of dreaming and coming up for air, the couple swam off touching pectoral fins…tip to tip…side by side. So gentle and sweet were they. And just as they glided away, another couple of humpbacks glided past us. (Where did they come from!?!?).

Holy cow Batman!

Then after a long period with not many whales in sight, we were invited over by the other small boat in our group to a mother, baby and escort who allowed us to get close several, several times. Very close. At one point I was hovering over her fluke so close I could see barnacle scars lining her tail.

The baby was the most amazing whale I’ve ever met. He laid sideways on mama’s head, upside down on her head, rolled off her head and found every other position imaginable to balance on her head. Such magnificent joy! He also surfaced and practiced his tail lobbing and fin slapping. Then, after tiring, he would rest under her chin.

If we drifted too close, the escort would slowly and gently guide the mom and baby away from us. He didn’t appear upset but was very keen on keeping a certain distance between us and his gal and her babe. The magnetic personality of the baby seemed to draw all of us forward without kicking or swimming. As our hearts opened more we seemed to levitate through the water toward this delightful being.

The trio of whales allowed us and two other groups to take turns observing them for over five hours. Our group went in for lunch at 4.15pm and hurriedly ate and had another beautiful in-water encounter with the same whales. The only time I saw the whales intentionally leave the group of humans was when a person on another trip/small boat did a very loud and splashy entry. The whales moved away from that boat and settled again near our group.

Tender and gentle describes the day. Mind blown apart is also a good description of the day. My note at the end of the day said this: “I want to write more but I’m so tired and want to do morning moonlight yoga because it’s been freaking amazing! I love you whales! I love you Universe! I am grateful!”

Thus ended the day. I drifted off to sleep with blue water and a baby humpback filling my mind and heart.

Part I–Begin at the Beginning

Part II–Meditating with Whales

Meditating with Whales–Humpback Adventure Part II

By Simone Lipscomb | February 29, 2016

*Each of us gets lost in our own inner process as we prepare to enter the water.*

Monday--I walked up from my cabin below deck to the dive deck and then climbed the set of stairs to the sundeck at 5am. The nearly-full moon surprised me and stars overhead sparkled their good light on me as I stepped onto my mat to begin my yoga practice. It felt as if my entire being opened to the moon and stars and sea. So open and at-one was I that there was no noticeable difference between ‘me’ and the elements.

After breakfast and loading our tender (small boat), our group of ten and crew of three left the mother ship. After a short distance we did a practice entry and direction-following session for when we would actually see a whale and have an in-water experience. We got back on board our small boat and immediately the tour operator said, “Okay, get ready. There’s a mother and baby in the area. She hasn’t really settled but you might get lucky and get a fly-by.” In what reality does this happen? Usually it takes hours of riding the bumpy waves to get such an opportunity.

I left my camera on the boat and must say…’oh, well’ because on the last of many fly-bys, the mother and baby came within 10 to 15 feet of our group. Mom was surfacing slowly and baby was riding on mom’s head. The youngster’s eyes were closed in pure and perfect whale bliss. The absolute bliss filled me with profound and uncontainable joy. Had I been holding my heavy camera in front of my face concentrating on framing a shot, I would have missed the moment. Sometimes it’s really okay to miss a photograph. Truly okay. I now have the imprint, the pattern of what baby humpback bliss is and wouldn’t trade it for anything. When I close my eyes now, as I write this, I feel the perfection of peace and contentment and total trust.

Such sweetness I have never experienced before…ever.

Mother humpback fin slapping...part of educating and training her youngster. — *Mother humpback fin slapping…part of educating and training her youngster.*

As I sat on the flying bridge writing this after lunch, humpbacks on either side of our large boat are fin slapping. A gentle tap on my shoulder pointed it out…the engineer of the boat who rarely says anything wanted me to see the whales. Mama seemed to be encouraging a baby to fin slap…one way the mothers help babies build strength for their long migration back north to feeding waters.

Mother and baby...so sweet is the relationship between them. — *Mother and baby…so sweet is the relationship between them*.

There is nothing more sacred than a mother humpback’s love for her baby. It makes my heart so wide open I feel as if it contains the Universe. These beings are as aware and sentient as any human. They are loving and tactile and teach their babies with such care. Humans are only one species, in many, that are consciously aware and mindful.

For the past year I have been meditating envisioning a grandmother humpback. The potency of this journey, this trip to see them, is amplified by many months of preparation….to learn, to grow, to heal on a deeper level.

The willingness to expand into our own potential is magnified by the effort we put into it.

My camera wouldn't focus on the whales due to cloudy water...so I focused on my fins and like the outcome of the shot. — *My camera wouldn’t focus on the whales due to cloudy water…so I focused on my fins and like the outcome of the shot.*

After lunch and the restful time on the top deck, it was time for whale searching once more in the tenders. It didn’t take long and we were in the water with two sleeping whales for about an hour. They surfaced twice to breathe but gently sank below us to ‘sleep’ after breathing. The male and female appeared to be sleeping but when I hovered over them and went into meditation, I sensed that whales don’t sleep as we know it but rather enter a dream-state, the dreamtime. Somehow their presence and their dreaming seems vital to the balance of the Ocean, the planet. Scientists would laugh at this, but I’m no scientist. What am I then? A sea priestess? Mermaid? One who listens on a deep level…no doubt.

Meditating with whales today may be the most profoundly moving experience I’ve ever had. It will most likely takes months to understand everything I learned during the experience. I managed to take photographs when I finished the more important task of connecting with them on a deeper level.

Meditating with whales….a continuation of last year’s trip and the many months of meditation at home. I felt a real connection, a real solidifying of the work we’ve been doing together in a formless realm. Today’s experience was a mind connection on a deeply spiritual level. It felt like a working relationship that was strengthened by physical proximity.

There is no doubt that I will continue dreaming with whales…here and when I return to that place I live. Home, however, is here with the humpbacks…where I feel most alive and in-tune with life.

*****

Part I

Begin at the Beginning–Humpback Whale Journey Part I

By Simone Lipscomb | February 29, 2016

Humpback mothers and babies, dreaming whale couples, a mama and baby and male, a singer, rowdy groups of humpbacks, meditating in the water with humpbacks, yoga under a full moon on deck….nice people, good food….a wrecked sailboat. So many stories to share, so many experiences to treasure. The best place to begin to share my journey with humpback whales is at the beginning.

Saturday, February 20th–After arriving early and having an afternoon and all day the next day to explore around the marina, I boarded our vessel. The 124 foot boat was designed as a live-aboard dive boat so its not roughing it but it’s not fancy either. So bare feet, shorts and tee shirts when not in wetsuits is the norm. The weather had been producing very high winds and I was dreading the 92 mile crossing to the offshore reef, the Silver Bank. Between the reef and the north shore of the Dominican Republic is open ocean and with 20 knot winds that’s no joke, even in a stable craft like the Turks & Caicos Explorer II.

Thankfully the captain and trip leader decided not to leave port and put us through a rough night of ten foot seas. At almost 10pm, our usual departure time, I felt only relief that we would wait until morning to leave the marina. Being a light sleeper doesn’t help when it’s rough enough to throw me off the bunk. Nobody complained about the decision to wait.

Sunday, February 21st–Last ties to land cast off and steadily we moved through choppy waters toward the Silver Bank. As we pulled out of the harbor early in the morning, the silver sunrise glistened on the white surf that was breaking onto a lush, green shore. The beauty of the mist-covered shoreline aglow with soft, quicksilver star fire wrapped me in a loving embrace.

Slowly moving through green water toward the indigo blue–that purple blue that calls to my depths–we made our way onward. Out, out to sea. To freedom. To humpback whales.

I sat perched on the flying bridge gazing into clouds and sea, surrounded by elements of water and wind. Occasionally beams of light would pierce the heavy clouds and illuminate distant water…golden fingers of heaven reaching down to connect with the sea. Such divinity in that moment. Sea touched by sky. Sacred touch. Sacred connection.

While all around is cloudy with a gray blue sea, the moment light touches the surface it glows indigo and silver and gold. Our hearts are like that…when we allow the light of our own being to shine through, it changes everything.

As we were traversing the crossing, I connected deeply with the Ocean and wrote the following:

Love Song for the Ocean

Gazing into your deep, blue depths I feel my heart open with wild abandon.

Beloved, your beauty fills my life with joy and light like no other.

Your Mysteries invite me deeper into my own depths until I find myself at the quiet stillness of perfect center.

Your salty tears move through my being and we weep together at needless loss and destruction.

Your varying shades of blues–turquoise, indigo, light blue, green-blue–fill my veins and my blood runs hot and salty in rhythm to you.

Your power fills me with courage as I journey through this life to love you more, to surrender more to your immense, all-enfolding, raw, elemental power.

I can scarcely contain my emotions and find this body challenged to hold the love as it courses through my being. Divine Madness.

You whisper, Don’t hold it in, child. Express your love for me daughter. Let yourself be free. Open to love….open…be free.

But what will they say, Dear Mother? When I dance in wild spirals screaming your name, singing your name, whispering your name. What will they say?

Will they shun me or lock me up or call me crazy? But in truth, I am crazy with Divine Madness for you, Ocean Mother.

I want to dive into your salty waters and never rinse the dried, healing minerals from my body.

In gazing at the horizon where your Body meets Sky, it appears to be a line of separation but no matter how far I journey, it is a never-ending relationship, a dance that continues and continues…forever….endless.

My Child, you whisper through the wind. My Child! you shout on the spray carried by the wind. My Child of love, never apologize for loving me and for opening your heart. Rejoice in your ability to feel! Rejoice!

Rejoice! Rejoice! In your own salty, juiciness.

We began seeing whales long before we reached our mooring. Breaching, tail lobbing, fin-slapping humpback whales. Their white-hot breath led us forward in our journey, our crossing from one reality to the magical realm of the Silver Bank.

I fell asleep knowing that humpback whales swam beneath the boat dreaming strange whale dreams. I surrendered to their call and joined them in the dreamtime.

——-

Part II….In the water with whales….stay tuned.

Finding Peace

By Simone Lipscomb | May 26, 2015

Jesse Norman’s beautiful voice blended with the strings as she sang Vier latest Lieder: IV. Im Abendrot. During breakfast I had been reading Thousand Mile Song about…well, what else…whales. Lately I have immersed myself in all things whale, from scientific to spiritual in an effort to gain understanding of their wisdom.

Since spending a week with humpback whales in March my life hasn’t been the same. As I sat on the top deck of the large boat making its way back to land after being moored 80 miles offshore, I watched humpbacks. Already filled with emotion and listening to Whales Alive, I spotted a large pectoral fin rise up out of the water and slap over and over again. With each slap I cried harder. My entire life had been leading me to humpbacks and now I was leaving them. Yet the large whale lazily slapping her 15 foot pectoral fin created a communion between us that I will always remember.

Integrating the many powerful moments with humpbacks into my daily has been difficult. After such a life-changing experience how can I return to land, to life without their magnificent presence?

Recently I have made progress by spending time in meditation… listening… connecting. Reading more about quantum physics and understanding that we really are One with all life has helped me bring a deeper awareness of humpback whales and all of nature into my mind. The deep, profound peace I experienced with a mother humpback and her calf is returning as I spend time in stillness and silence….listening.

This morning, the sweet music called me to embody the mother humpback in movement. My excessively long arms became pectoral fins and I made peace with my body and the fact that sleeves are rarely long enough. As a humpback whale my graceful, long ‘arms’ would give me the ability to breach and turn and call to lovers with powerful slaps on the water’s surface.

As I moved gently and slowly with the music, allowing the essence of the whale to fill me, tears flowed and profound peace enveloped me. My relationship with humpbacks continues to unfold and their beauty and wisdom guides me as I surrender…opening deeper, deeper into the stillness of my own being.

Whale Dreamer

By Simone Lipscomb | April 28, 2015

Whales are back in my dreams. It all started somewhere in the dark, rainy night when storms passed through washing everything clean. In the dreamtime I found myself at my brother’s barn. A large alligator was strolling by (evidently they do stroll) and decided to come inside the barn with me.

Not fond of close contact with alligators, I picked up a large stick and tried to hit the alligator but the bony, armored plates underneath the thick, lizard skin made the stick bounce off him. Since that didn’t work I simply stopped reacting in fear and began to talk to the alligator. He understood that he and I couldn’t share close quarters and thus moved out of the barn and continued his walk.

I awakened briefly and smiled in that half groggy/half awake place. Fear had been dealt with properly. Perhaps it was the Buddhist studies that helped me communicate with reason instead of knee-jerk fear and violence.

Back in the dreamtime I found myself floating in the Ocean with whales. I was in deep communion with them as I hovered with them, weightless in the salty sea. Peace. Amazing peace.

Another dream segment…but this time with musicians I know. The setting was the upper room of a venue that had very unique ways musicians “played.” Sort of the Circ de Sole of musicians. I didn’t know The Mulligan Brothers could fly or that Willie Sugarcapps could glide with grace across the floor on magic skates. In the dream I was videoing them and posting on Facebook.

Finally, I was back on the Ocean looking for whale blows. Gazing out into the horizon I saw the misty, white exhalation of a humpback whale. It was close enough that I could smell the fishy breath, that salty incense that delighted me a few weeks ago when it enfolded me.

I am not certain how to interpret the musicians “playing” in my dream nor how my future and humpback whales will be interwoven. I am certain of one thing though: I am a whale dreamer.