Learning Trust from Gray Whales

If you’ve had a session with me - you probably heard “Energy flows where intention and attention go.” Being around animals, who are fluent in the language of energy, their behavior often mirrors or highlights where your intention and attention is oriented. The grey whales in the Baja exemplifies this concept. 

In 2023 I had an experience with a mama gray whale who allowed me to touch her baby.  She allowed this  after an hour of me singing about my delight and love for gray baby whales to the waters. I was riffing off Raffi's Baby Beluga - changing it to baby gray whale. A mama whale with her baby approached our boat.  The mama whale slightly nudged our boat, I kept singing.  She moved her body in such a way allowing her baby to come to the back of the boat where I was.  I placed my hand on the baby's head as she turned sideways, opened her mouth and slid under the boat. Our eyes locked before she dove deep.  I was transfixed and changed forever. I wanted to share that life changing experience with others.  

Last year, I led my first intimate immersive ceremonial retreat with gray whales with six participants. I was nervous. Collaborating and co-creating with nature, brings me great joy and is an immense teaching in trust.  My desire/ intention was for everyone to have an experience with the whales and to deepen their connection with themselves, nature and the web of life. Nature and animals have rhythms and cycles that are always in motion.  We could arrive at the Lagoon and never see a whale at all. So with a mixture of trust, eager anticipation and a heaping dash of anxiety about  “will there be whales.” I brought the group to the protected waters of San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja Mexico, one of the last undeveloped gray whale birthing sites on the planet.

The first morning when John, my ceremonial co-facilitator and I met to set the intention for the day and call in an energetic ceremonial container for the day, I said out loud “Oh dang.  I forgot  a feather fan to smudge everyone.” Right at that moment as if on cue a large pelican or vulture feather twirled down from the sky yards from me.  Through tears of gratitude, and wonder I chuckled and thought “Oh, this is going to be fun if this is how it's going to be. Asking for what I desire, holding the intention and there it is.  Yes and thank you!” 

In the months leading up to the ceremony, I had been reading and learning so much about the whales and the Lagoon.  I had read many stories and accounts of grad students back in the 80’s studying the whales at the Lagoon. There were many reports of the playful curiosity of the whales. There was one particular whale who loved to go under their rubber zodiac and rise from the water with the boat resting on her head.  This is a behavior whales do with their baby.  I was fascinated and dreamed of being in a boat where a massive 70,000 lb whale would playfully and safely interact with us. I added a whale lifting boat to the possibilities and desires for the retreat. (I did not share with the participants that I had added this one desire.)

During one of our six trips on the protective waters of a vast lagoon in a small panga we had set  out with the intention to be the Love Boat radiating love. Lucky us, we had the pleasure of being visited by a very interactive and engaging whale we lovingly called the Ambassador.  She traveled back and forth between three boats that were stationary. She baptized us with her rainbow plume as she emerged right next to our boat gliding along the whole length of the boat allowing us to touch her.  

All of us were buzzing with wonder in the up close and personal encounter with this whale.  Daniel, our captain and guide who grew up on these waters summed it up beautifully.

“In that moment when you are in the presence of a whale everything fades away. 
You don’t remember if you are married or the state of the world. 
You are just being in the moment connected with a magnificent creature.” 
 

As the Ambassador continued engaging with each boat she returned to our boat and we eagerly watched her swim under our boat wondering where she was going to appear. All of a sudden we felt the front of the boat lift, then lift a little higher.  Just like I had so many times dreamed about a whale lifting our boat.  She was lifting the boat on her head! 

In my excitement I leaned way over the edge of the boat, almost bent in half, looking down at her with our boat on her head and at that moment her eye appeared above the water line.  Mesmerized by her eye I was laughing in wonder and awe, profusely thanking her for her playfulness and gentleness.  Her response I heard clearly  “Rainbow plumes, jacuzzi bubbles and lifting your boat is everything you’ve been dreaming and asking for.  Will you now trust we are collaborating with you?”  Before I could even respond, our boat gently rested back on the water as she submerged and disappeared.    

Again all of us were awe struck and tears were flowing.   Someone asked Daniel if he gets nervous when a whale lifts the boat.  With a huge smile he admitted his instinct is to put the boat in gear and get away and instead he surrenders into trust and allows the whale to move the boat.  

That morning we had stepped into the panga with the intention of radiating out love. Hoping we would be with whales.  Two hours later we all returned changed from our experiences of being with a gray whale who responded to us with love, playful curiosity and gentleness. 

For me the encounter with the ambassador whale and her question to me, along with Daniel’s response,  amplified an understanding within me to surrender into trust to allow the movement and flow of life.  This is an experience I want to share with others again and again and again because I love how it made me feel.  

I ‘d love to share this retreat with you. This February I am headed back down to Baja for another intimate immersive ceremonial retreat with gray whales. The experience will be different. Different participants, different whales.  Your experience will be different.  The possibilities are endless. Perhaps you are interested.

 You can find everything about the retreat here: Ceremonial Gray Whale Retreat 2027