Connecting to my animal spirit, the whale

By Dr T. Selva

I WRITE this column with great enthusiasm because I finally connected to my animal spirit, the whale, the world’s largest mammal, on my birthday.

It mugged the boat I was on and performed several magical moves – breaching, lobtailing (tail slaps), full-body throwing, diving and spy hopping (appearing to “stand” in the water).

I have written in an earlier column that every individual is guided by an animal spirit that helps us in our daily life by providing protection, guidance and healing.

After identifying mine as the whale with the help of two American shaman healers, I made a trip to Brisbane on my birthday on 30th July to get linked to my life force.

It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, as my sighting of the humpback whales at Moreton Bay was like the union of two souls.

The clear blue sea anchorage is the place to view humpback whale migration to and from Antarctica.

Over 10,000 whales are sighted annually in the waters during the whale-watching seasons.

An hour after departing from the Redcliffe Jetty in Brisbane on a high-speed catamaran, I was greeted by the breathtaking sight of seven humpback whales. 

The whales appeared to be waiting for me as they surfaced, actively displaying a particular behaviour, as though their soulmate had arrived.

The pods were mainly made up of sub-adults that were the first to leave the freezing waters of the Antarctic for warmer environments.

As I stood in silence on the lower viewing deck of the vessel MV Eye Spy, one whale came right up out of the water at a vertical 90° angle – head in the air and tail down, close to where I was standing. It had a friendly composure and held the position for several seconds before taking a dip underwater to join two others.

I kept my focus on the water and the same whale made its way up against the boat’s hull, upside down, showing off its tummy, doing massive tail slaps. 

It later paused and our eyes locked for a few seconds; I started to tear up after experiencing some form of energy being transmitted to me. 

I sent out my thoughts to it and thanked the whale for seeing me and being my life guide. It was an unforgettable feeling and I felt so fulfilled and sacred to be in association with my spirit creature.

I continued my whale watching and was treated to a series of displays where the giant mammals emerged from the water and then dived, fluke up. 

The fluke is how the humpback is identified with individual markings, almost like a person’s fingerprints; it enables observers to track and view the same whales each year. (Flukes are the two lobes of the whale’s tail. While every whale has flukes, these flukes themselves differ from species to species. In some whale species, flukes are so distinctive that researchers use them to identify individuals.)

The 200-odd whale watchers on the boat took snaps of their actions and some screamed, “I love you” at their spectacular and mighty display.

The ship’s skipper provided a summary of the whales’ spectacular moves and their background. 

He explained that most whales must surface every three to 20 minutes to breathe, and spouting occurs when the whale surfaces and clears water from its blowhole along with any moisture trapped in its air passages.

The whales have small eyes designed to withstand tremendous pressures, and most species have good vision. Their hearing is also excellent.

Many of these vast mammals have brains larger than humans and are believed to be extremely intelligent.

The multi-million dollar luxury catamaran, purpose-built for whale-watching expeditions, is fitted with low-noise propellers. 

At the same time, electronically-controlled engines reduce fuel usage and exhaust emissions to ensure the vessel remains environment-friendly not only to the whales but to all other marine life as well.

Before I disembarked, I bought a bracelet with a whale tail attached to it, which I immediately wore on my right wrist to stay connected to my guiding spirit.

I returned with a strong admiration for whales after the fantastic activity and the unforgettable glimpses that gave me a better understanding of life.

Award-winning author Dr T. Selva is a speaker and writer of the bestseller book Vasthu Sastra Guide. To purchase a copy of the book, call Devi at 0412623017. He can be contacted at drtselvas@gmail.com Facebook: Vasthu Sastra; Website: www.vasthusastra.com