This is my first Mother's Day without my Mom who died last November, weeks away from her 93rd birthday. She led a full and generous life, and we were blessed that she got to know her grandchildren and meet her great-grandchildren. She is certainly not forgotten and is cherished by her family.
This is my environmental blog, so I'll acknowledge a special Mother's Day in the Bay of Fundy. Last year there were no North Atlantic Right Whales born in what is an endangered and diminishing population. This lack of births, coupled with the death of at least 17 Right Whales in 2017, mostly in collisions with ships, meant that this fragile population was even more threatened.
The good news is that researchers have identified seven newborn calves this year, a baby boom for a species that deserves human protection after centuries of reckless predation on our part. A decade ago we saw a mother Right Whale and youngster while on Grand Manan Island and it was a thrill. It's so encouraging to know that this many have made the trip from southern waters to the Bay of Fundy.
Are there whales in the bible, you might ask? Well, there are references to Leviathan, a sea beast, in Job, Isaiah, and a couple of Psalms. Some scholars say that Leviathan(s) were likely whales which took on mythical proportions in scripture. I would rather that we fulfill our biblical mandate to be respectful stewards of all creatures, including whales, rather than have them pass into lamented memory and mythology.
Happy Mother's Day to North Atlantic Right Whale moms.
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