It's April 13, 2023. This morning the ocean and air were unseasonably warm. Families were already on the beach at 8:30 a.m., some in bathing suits. Barefooted, pantlegs rolled up, I blissfully walked along in the shallow water. Then, I saw the familiar flash of dolphins leaping and splashing in the distance.* There were so many of them! Seagulls swooped and soared above to take advantage of the fish that surfaced while the dolphins were engaged in a vigorous breakfast experience. Five peregrine falcons flew in. Astoundingly precise fishers, they hovered above the water, spotted their prey, then dove down with rapid, streamlined force. Each falcon emerged with a fish grasped in its talons. This entire scene took place just off the beach where the lines for the offshore windmills are supposed to be laid onto the shore.
There is great controversy about this wind generation project. Since December 5, 2022, 11 large whales and 25 dolphins have died along the New Jersey coastline. Their deaths are being called "unusual mortality events". The company involved with the project utilizes sonar to determine where to place the generators. Many citizens are concerned about this: that the cetaceans and birds are being injured and killed, their migratory paths disrupted; that the generators will soon enough degrade from the salt air, water, winds and storms, and then, fall apart into the ocean; and, that the unhampered vast, magnificent ocean vista that attracts people to live along and to vacation at the shore will be ruined. The official response about the whale and dolphin deaths is to deny that the sonar is responsible.
It sure seemed to me that the dolphins had assembled to make a point by revealing themselves at this exact location this morning. There was exuberant joy as they and their winged friends found exactly what they needed. My prayer is that these beautiful friends always have what they need to live with great sustenance. My further prayer is that humanity will come to consider the lives of all our relations as being worthy of respect and considerate care. A great consciousness was evident as it always is with the dolphins and the peregrines. May we, humans, choose to be part of this consciousness as well.
With Love and Gratitude for this day,
Barbara J. Woolley, Nature Lover and Observer
*Even if you cannot see them, they are in the above photo. Expand it-there are splashes and forms in the enlarged photo.
(c) Barbara J. Woolley, April 13, 2023
Thank You Barbara for making us more aware of the ongoing plight of our Pleiadean relatives. Glad you are soaking your feet and spirit at the ocean. Blessings from afar!