Page 39 - Waterfall Issue 3 2021

FEEL

THE POWER OF A surface with their huge, almost

sail-like dorsal fins, possibly as a
GOOD NIGHT’S REST means of seeking attention. She
suggested the oceanarium try to
get its two captive orcas to do the
same – “just to liven things up”.

Flynn said the oceanarium’s
orcas had never done that and
said, “We’ll try it next week.”

Morton, in her 2002 book,
Listening to Whales, recalls:

Then something happened that has
made me careful of my thoughts
around whales ever since. As Tish
walked out of the stadium, Corky (one
of the orcas), rose to the surface and
slapped her dorsal fin on the water’s
surface. After a moment’s hesitation,
she dove and surfaced to slap her
fin again. As Corky continued, she
gained momentum and rose higher,
the next time sending a satisfying
smack across the water. I stood in the
grandstands watching, mouth agape.

CAN CORKY “Tish, Tish, come! Quick,
you’ve got to see this!’”

READ YOUR Tish emerged from the stadium tunnel
to see Corky flying around the tank,
waves sloshing water over the side. With
each breath the exuberant whale rolled
mIND? and smacked her fin on the water.

Had the whale read my mind, or was this
just an enormous coincidence? Tish saw
my expression of disbelief and smiled.
By James Clarke
“That’s whales for you,” she said,
S ome years ago, marine Orcas, the largest of the world’s 42 see this kind of stuff all the time.”
“they can read your mind. We trainers

biologist, Alexandra Morton,
species of dolphins, can weigh more
The World Leaders in Sleep a world authority on orcas, than four tons and, despite their Could Corky read Morton’s or Flynn’s
HOME OF was visiting Marineland ‘killer’ moniker, they are, like most mind? Or is that an absurd suggestion?
Oceanarium in Los Angeles where she dolphins, well disposed towards
had once worked. She was chatting humans and have never been known It is no more absurd than the recent
to dolphin trainer, Tish Flynn, and to deliberately kill anybody. finding that dolphins can pass
• WIDE RANGE OF MATTRESSES • ADJUSTABLE BED BASES • PILLOWS & LINEN mentioned the problem of captive mental images (‘snapshots’ of what
orcas (also known as ‘killer wales’) Morton told Flynn how, in the they are seeing) to each other even
suffering boredom in the ‘dreadful open ocean, she’d watched wild when kilometres apart. And no more
• JOHANNESBURG: Clearwater Shopping Centre | Design Quarter Kramerville | Hyde Park Corner | Bedfordview Shopping Centre | Fourways confinement’ of an oceanarium. orcas noisily slapping the water absurd than elephants being able
• PRETORIA: Brooklyn Mall | Menlyn Shopping Centre • WESTERN CAPE: Canal Walk Shopping Centre | De Waterkant Media Quarter | Table Bay Mall
• KZN: The Crescent at Umhlanga Ridge
www.vencasa.co.za Waterfall Issue 3 2021 37

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