Natalia Avseenko

Years ago I taught Russian History as a sideline to my Natural Science classes at the college. One of the many things I came to respect in The Russian People was their almost super human physical stamina in the face of a brutal climate. This was/is of course most tested in winter, and was the true agent of defeat for both the armies of Napolean Boneparte and Adolph Hitler. The picture above is not mine but I can vouch for it’s authenticity. The woman you see diving with some Beluga Whales is Natalia Avseenko, a Russian yoga instructor and World Class Free Diver. She had heard that Belugas would not swim with Humans because we were always wrapped up in all manner of synthetic dive gear and therefore unpleasant to be around. She decided to test the theory by diving naked in Arctic waters after a hole had been cut in the ice to allow her access to The Belugas underneath. This picture is one of a handful taken of her during her swim….need I say more.

A few weeks ago, on one of the rare days I can go out to The WZ at this time of year due to wind, I came across a small herd of Dolphins and started singing “Boop Boop be do”. They seemed to like it so I was able to kayak with them for a while as they swam slowly beside me. I’ll have to try that again, it might mean something in their lingo.

More and more “Street Art” is showing up worldwide. Personally, I LOVE IT! For me it is an expression of creativity, joy and hope during a difficult time of change. An era is coming to an end, thank The Great Mystery, and it is nice to see the human spirit continue to flourish.

Went in to Los Barriles with Alan and Marilyn Pomeroy to catch the 49er’s winning their final game of the season and assuring a week off before The Playoffs. Saturday next they play The New Orlean’s Saints, always a tough go for them.

On the 6^th I was able to kayak again and came across a large herd of Common Pacific Dolphin. I made a perfect intercept and had them on all sides of me for a good 5 minutes as I paddled along with them. Definitely one of my favorite things to do here in Baja California Sur. Waters are too cold for me to go in at this time of year. Didn’t used to be but the chill factor really gets to me nowadays.

Common Pacific Dolphins

Just finished an extremely well written historical novel titled, “Falls the Shadow” by Sharon Kay Penman. It is the story of the true life Simon de Montfort, a Frenchman who became England’s Earl of Leicester in the mid 13^th century and, as much as anyone, was responsible for introducing parliamentary law after centuries of the indisputed authority of kings. Terrific read for anyone interested in the politics, intrigue and daily life in the middle ages.

Simon de Montfort, 1208-1267

On the 8^th I took a group of folks out in the panga to help me search for whales. I had been out twice before without success but it was the family and a good friend of one of my past interns, Elizabeth Plumb, and since there was a weather window that day we went out.

Eric, Jim, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Iris

The weather was ideal, Sea as flat as a lake, sky clear and a good number of whales had been spotted just about 40 miles south of my grid during the previous week…..well, longshot but maybe, eh? We went south as far as Los Barriles and saw a number of Mobula doing their acrobatics and a very placid Sea Turtle that allowed us close alongside and even to be petted, that’s rare!

I decided to go out further to deeper water and head back north towards Boca del Alamo. As we were passing Las Tinas Vicente spotted a dorsal fin cutting the water nearby. At first he wasn’t sure what it was but as we got closer it turned out to be a good sized shark. Vicente maneuvered the boat to get closer and the shark seemed to be as curious as we were. At one point it followed us, passed just under the stern and then came up real close to the gunnel on the port side as if to get a closer look at us.

Short Finned Mako

It showed no fear and was clearly not intimidated by the boat. He was close enough to touch but we all were more than satisfied to just look at him “eye ball to eye ball”. I have dove with sharks before but this one gave off such a PRIMAL energy I didn’t seriously entertain swimming with it. Vicente was certain it was a Great White but I was skeptical. I sent the above picture to a number of my colleagues and the consensus is that it was a Short Finned Mako. It was about 8’ long and absolutely beautiful. It was a real treat to be in his presence and feel that primordial energy.

So, we had seen Mobulas, a Sea Turtle and a shark…..not bad. Soon after we spotted a Sea Lion and there was fear that The Shark might just get it but if it did we were not witness to it. AND THEN Elizabeth and Vicente spot……YES, a Humpback, no two!! HOOHAH!! It was not difficult to follow them, they were youngsters and maintaining a classic 3-4 blow series with “flukes up” after the last blow. I got two IDs, HB# 1 12 and HB# 2 12, as my first whales for the 2012 season. HB# 2 12 is the better picture so I'm posting it.

HB# 2 12

I'll leave you with this cartoon, tickled me.

A gift from my daughter Kersti this morning

Every semester before teaching environmental science at Mendocino College I had to make a decision as to exactly what would be my method for instilling the importance of the subject to my students. There were two avenues that I had whittled it down to after 20 years of teaching. One was to use The Mother Earth Theme, the other, The Careless Disregard theme….one to awe, the other to frighten. I never knew which I would choose until I met my first class and the disposition (hopes) I had at the time. Worked well for me and my students too I believe. In this Solstice post I had to make the same type of decision. The incredible beauty and peace I am finding in my life here in my beloved Mexico or a more serious post, not to necessarily frighten but to nevertheless embrace my responsibility as an ELDER (I am now 70) and “speak my truth” as I was encouraged to do by one of my Native American Mentors some years ago. I will do both.

I will begin with the “good stuff” and those of you who have heard enough about the many difficulties we face can skip the second part.

Pre-Dawn Solstice Fire at my place

Today is The Winter Solstice. It is the MOST ancient communal celebration in the entire history of humankind throughout the world……..ALL peoples, everywhere! Reversed in time with The Southern Hemisphere but nevertheless shared. It pre-dates the communal celebrations of The Mythical Religions (Judaism, Christianity and Mohammadanism et al) by at least 20,000 years, and that is very conservative. Please reflect then on this day, it is to celebrate the “returning” of The Sun.

The Humpbacks are definitely beginning to show up here in my grid. Almost every day for the past week or two people have been seeing them in front of El Cardonal, Punta Pescadero or Las Tinas. Not many, one or two at a time but they are here, and I of course rejoice.

I was lucky enough with my friends the other day, to come across a lone Humpback about two miles out while kayaking in The WZ. That was EXTRAORDINARILY lucky and we were able to get within about 300’ of it. It fluked up 3 times during our encounter and at one point must have gone just underneath us (no telling the depth) before continuing out of our area. With me was Charlie and his son Danny and daughter Carolyn and Robert with his daughter Jinny. A fine group of people and strong kayakers as well as being adventuress, great day for me for sure. Three days later I took them out with me in the panga for a real search but we didn’t see anything.

My dream world has been very active the past few weeks with lots of Dolphin and Whale images. That is partially due certainly to the anticipation of The Whale Season and also because I have finally started writing my Whale Book. I am into the second chapter already and I think it is going to be a most delightful project. I believe my last post got my creative juices flowing and I am excited about what will come from this.

Here is the most well remembered Whale Dream

I’m on a big sail boat in The N. Pacific, heavy seas, icebergs, I’m at the bow with “tourists”. There is a big breach in front of us, big wave too, I think dangerous. Then 3 HBs breach in front of us, I call down below to get everyone on deck, one kid is on outside of bow and in a precarious spot. I tell him to get back in, he won’t, suddenly a whale breaches right next to him and he’s overboard. Seas are too rough and cold for me to just jump in…….moral question of diving in or not, water not clear enough to see him. My son Zack is there in the bow and I ask him to stir, I finally dive in but can’t see the kid, a grey whale swims next to me, I know this is the whale that dislodged the kid, the whale is sorry, wants to help, I have no mask, can’t see anything, Navy arrives, I’m pulled out, I have no suit on, get my black one, then find I’m walking into a church (?) to be interviewed, and then dream deteriorates.

Here’s the critters I would be studying if I wasn’t doing Whales. This was sent to me by my daughter Kersti indicating the totem spirit she sees as hers. So right on!

Here is another picture she sent recently, incredible what nature offers us genetically sometimes.

Albino Peacock

And how about a REAL dragon

And for those of you who read The Tintin Books to your kids, isn’t this a nice vision?

Ok, now for the other stuff.

These are some things to consider as we approach Christmas and the coming decade.

The 6 Walton children (Walmart) have more wealth than the bottom 30% of Americans COMBINED

The Banks have melded into a small group of very powerful people,

and are perpetuating and encouraging the incredible gap between the First and Third Worlds.

The environment is eroding faster than any of us in The Sciences anticipated and it is due to The First World’s consumerism and the fuel needed to provide the goods. We MUST stop using FOSSIL FUELS completely at some point. The Planet is a CLOSED SYSTEM, there is no faucet out there to let in clean air and water, nor a drain out to The Cosmos for our garbage. Think NEW PARADIGM.

When you have an arbitrary economic system that has at it’s core, not only an accommodation for greed but an encouragement towards greed, and masked as somehow equivalent to Democracy, Justice and Freedom, you cannot but have social injustice.

When you have a government beholding to corporate power and a corrupt banking system that denies basic human rights and dignity, you cannot but have social injustice.

When you have a common religious mythology (Judeo-Christian-Muslim) that implies sin, retribution and superiority as acceptable tenants of belief, you cannot but have social injustice.

When you have a professional military that is ready to invade any country, torture it’s enemies, turn on it’s own people and devise increasingly heinous means by which to kill, you cannot but have social injustice.

The only FREEDOM is freedom from the above!

LOVE THE PLANET, FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS, BE JUST AND KIND

On the 22nd of December The Earth begins "tipping" back to the vertical

Please be good to yourselves. This year, the 22^nd of December is The Winter Solstice. It will then be MIDWINTER and Grandfather Sun will begin his journey North to bring us light, warmth and rebirth. Do not despair because of the commercial and religious insanity of The Judeo-Christian-Corporate Mythology, it IS the return of The Sun that makes this period of the year truly sacred…..and that is as REAL, SOLID and DEPENDABLE as the heart that beats within you.

My birthday dinner with friends, Roxanne, Darrel, Dawn, Carla and JC was great fun. The food was excellent (I had Cajun Bacon Wrapped Giant Prawns), the conversation lively and I was allowed to tell some stories.

A few days later, on Dec. 1^st , we had the clearest water all year. I did laps over the reef and once again thanked The Great Mystery for my good fortune. I went kayaking the next day hoping that the visibility would hold but no. The WZ was not stirring either and I actually got cold out there. Fortunately I had taken my windbreaker with me and I was comfortable, so I was able to enjoy the power of Grandmother.

Big news, NASA has released information that a nearby Planet, Kepler 22b, could be very much like Earth. It orbits a star similar to our own and is at a distance from it’s sun that is called The “Goldilocks Zone”; the zone where a LIFE sustaining Planet could be found. It is a fond hope of mine that we discover Extraterrestrial Life before I pass into a different part of my journey. I’m not talking about anything but simple microbial life, that’s all we have to find just once off Planet and we can be assured that life will be found everywhere in The Universe.

Kepler 22b Artist rendition

You are all aware that for the past 8 years I have been engaged in “Scientific” research into Humpback and Blue Whale population numbers, migration routes, health and surface behavior. I have done this in collaboration with Dr. Jorge Urban Ramirez of UABCS in La Paz. Recently I have been delighted and proud to post that our work has resulted in the recognition of our area as a unique and invaluable breeding/calving ground for a large population of North Pacific Humpbacks.

Since 2007 I began to realize that these magnificent creatures deserved far more than simple “Scientific” study, they deserved to be recognized as the “OTHER” sentient species on this planet and to be treated as such. I was led to this conclusion by first hand experience, various readings and deep contemplation and meditation. In order to further my own interaction I therefore began to dive with them in that same year (2007).

Before my very first Whale Dive Courtesy Susan Janssen

First Humpback "close encounter" 2007, I'm the smaller surface object on the left

"Eyeball-to-Eyeball" with this Blue Whale 2009

"Eyeball-to Eyeball" with This Orca in 2011

Since then I have dove with many Humpbacks, Blues, Bryde’s and Orcas. I have also dove with 3 different species of Dolphin. My “close encounters” now number in the dozens and I expect will increase as the years go by.

These experiences have reinforced my belief that they are indeed a sentient species on an order certainly equal to ours and perhaps even more sophisticated.

With this in mind I have begun to relate to The Cetaceans as the “OTHERS”. Let me explain. Some 50 or more million years ago, a number of members of The Taxonomic “Class” Mammalia, began returning to The Seas to hunt for food. Exactly what influenced that move is not known for sure and it need not have been anything necessarily dramatic. The results however were. These terrestrial, lung breathing, four legged mammals began to adjust to the Ocean environment and slowly evolve body shape and physiology to better accommodate their search for food. This evolution led to The Taxonomic Order Cetacea; the Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises.

Probable Evolutionary Development of The Great Whales

The critical factor here is that within The Class Mammalia there are only four species known to possess what are called “Spindle Cells” in their brain tissue.

The cell on the left is the key to higher consciousness

These species are: Humans, Great Apes, Elephants and WHALES. It has been determined by Neurophysiologists that the Spindle Cell is necessary for “cognitive” thinking, “Free Association” and other generally recognized higher order intelligence functions including recognition of SELF and one’s relationship to others. In other words true sentience!

Of course the Great Apes and Elephants are terrestrial as is the Human, but in the case of the Cetaceans we are talking about species that have evolved this intelligence over a period at least 10 times longer than we Humans. Their brain size and hemispheric connections are also equal or greater to our own. If one were to visually compare the appearance of a Human Brain next to a similarly sized Cetacean Brain they would have a difficult time discerning which was which.

Human Brain

Sperm Whale Brain (6-8 times larger than Human Brain)

Evolution does not favor the retention of a genetic factor if it does not benefit the species. The sophistication of an organ (in this case the brain) does not evolve and get passed on UNLESS IT IS USED. The Sperm Whale actually has MORE Spindle Cells than a comparably sized human brain. Surface behavior and more recent underwater behavioral studies have also indicated sophisticated intelligence, and that doesn’t even include the “Songs” of The Humpbacks or the dozens (and growing in discovery) sounds and frequencies that The Cetaceans communicate in.

The point then is this; we live on ONE PLANET but a Planet with TWO WORLDS. Within the Terrestrial World the Human Species is THE DOMINANT intelligence, within The Marine World it is The Cetaceans that are THE DOMINANT intelligence. It is time to recognize that, honor it, and learn to live with them in a more intimate and loving way.

The other day I took my camera to the beach and took some shots, enjoy…..I did.

The "Perseverance" of Life

Beach Texture

A hunting Whimbril

And here is The Shangri-La “Fleet”, always ready, swift and loyal. The two yellow ones belong to my Quebecois (my extended family; Jean-Luc, Brigitte, Antoine, Tristan and Quentin)

The Shangri-La "Fleet"

So, today is my 70^th birthday. As The Grateful Dead said, “What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been”! Born into a WWII War zone in Tallinn, Estonia, refuge camp in Sweden, New York, San Francisco, Menlo Park, Tucson, Sebastopol, Palo Alto, Ukiah and now El Cardonal (Mexico), and this is where I make my “stand”; working with The Cetacean Nation, swimming with The Critters and very literally living the simple life. My thanks to all of you that graced my years during this journey, none of you are forgotten. May The Great Mystery bless you all.

This is not my pic but I had to put it in. The “ART” of nature!

We received some blessed rain a while back and the desert responded in every imaginable color of green. Later on the 25^th we got some real rain and the desert went ballistic. I love to watch this transformation, it’s breath taking……and the smell, hoohah!!

The desert behind "Shangri-La

One of the young girls in town, now a woman (?), had her Quincenera on the 12^th. Big affair, music, costumes, dancers, food, tequila…..amazing! Each year I notice the families trying to outdo each other on the extravaganza. It’s tradition, and I honor that but the money spent is ludicrous. No different than HS graduation in The US but these folks are village people. The “lucky” girl gets one of these on her 15^th birthday. Of course not ALL the girls get one…..ah, same old, same old.

The young "woman"

Last blog post I talked about my Scorpion friend in my bootie (no, not that kind of bootie), a couple of days ago I was putting some kayaking gear into my ditty bag and when I stuck my hand in I felt something soft and hairy…..BIG spider! Not a Tarantula but definitely one of our bigger spiders. No bite though, so I let him go.

By the 19^th of the month I had been out in my kayak 5 times to The WZ without any critters of any kind to swim with. Totally cool though because I love the solitude and QUIET out there. On the 24^th however I finally came across some of my Cetacean friends. As usual I went out to the 2 mile mark and greeted the Four Sacred Directions and their guides. Then I waited. After about an hour I started a slow paddle in, Sea was flat, took my time, stopping every now and again to listen for a blow. About a mile in I heard the faintest blow. For a while I couldn’t figure where it was coming from. Definitely Dolphin, not Whale…..but where? As it got louder I finally saw their dorsal fins coming toward me from the north and well within intercept distance. At first I thought there were only 2 or 3 but then I saw that it was a good sized herd of maybe 20. I kayaked into their midst and they playfully scooted under my kayak and seemed perfectly happy to have me kayaking along with them. After they picked up speed I decided to go in and on the way ran into 2 more. I dove in with these two but was only able to swim with them for a short while. EACH time it is delightful and new.

Common Pacific Dolphins as my kayaking buddies

The Humpbacks are coming. My friend Ian who runs Exotikite down here said he saw 3 HBs while kite surfing off Los Barriles a couple of days ago. I expect to see them any time here in El Cardonal.

Urmas vs Scorpions, 125 to 4.

I’m going to dinner tonight with a few friends at our local gourmet restaurant here in El Cardonal to celebrate my birthday. While I was there the other day to make reservations I struck up a conversation with a couple of guys who had just had a Cajun Gumbo for lunch. When they heard that my birthday was coming up they bought me a take out order of the gumbo so I wouldn't miss it. Turned out I had met these same guys at a party in Cabo Pulmo 8 years ago, how cool is that? BTW, the gumbo was OUTSTANDING.

Once again, thank you for your kindnesses, support, love and respect. Que les vaya bien!

Oh, BTW, I have moved my entire website onto this blog. It’s my record of the past 35 years of research and adventure. Lots of pictures, stories, whale facts etc. The pages are to the right of the beginning of the blog under “From My MioSah Website”.

The other morning I was preparing to go to the beach for my morning exercise and putting on my rubber dive booties. I gathered up my other gear and started across the flat to descend the bluff to the beach. About halfway across the flat I felt a sharp pain on the side of my left foot. I suspected I had stepped on a thorn (always a possibility in the desert). This was one mean ass thorn though and I couldn’t see it sticking outside the bootie so I pulled the bootie off and out comes a good sized scorpion. I was real lucky he didn’t sting me more than once. After squishing him with a handy rock, I continued to the beach and did my workout. The sting swoll up a little and then in the afternoon it really began to hurt. The pain traveled up my leg to my knee and then just throbbed there until cocktail time. About half way through my cocktail the pain just disappeared; hah, yet another gift from The Vodka God! Score is now 115 to 4.

On the 18^th of October a good sized contingent of Mendocino County folks arrived. Though there were good times to be had, there was also work to be done and then a celebration of the grand opening of THE MEDICAL CLINIC in El Cardonal that Lynn Dress-Meadows et al have strived and succeeded in putting together during the last 10 years. Congratulations Lynn et al…..WELL DONE!

Work well done!

Play well deserved!

I was asked to give a small slide show of my whale work to some of the visitors and it was a treat for me as always to talk about The Whale People.

Always ready to talk about The Whale People

I was sent a wonderful gift from my daughter Kersti and her husband Bill; a visitation by a group of ArchAngels that were to stay with me for a few days. The picture below is the altar I was asked to prepare for them. I am always open to gentle, loving energy from wherever it comes. Thanks Kersti and Bill, I enjoyed their visit.

Altar for my "Angel" visitors

On the 26^th I kayaked out to The WZ and came across a couple of Dolphins and two Sea Turtles. No encounters, The Dolphins were moving too fast and The Turtles dove too deep; always nice to see some of my critters though.

Had another terrific dinner and conversation with Alan and Marilyn the other night, I do enjoy their company so much.

Also on the 26^th some Humpbacks were spotted just off El Cardonal but I missed them.

Saw my first Tarantula for the year a couple of days ago, a good sized female on my top step near the trailer door. I’m sure glad they are not aggressive or poisonous because they look like HELL.

First cool night on the 28^th, actually used a thicker blanket.

I have found, and destroyed, 10 Wasps nests to date. Score: mas o menos 230 to 3, one got me on the arm while I was working in my bodega.

On the 2^nd of Nov. I decided to do a full on kayak out to the far edge of The WZ. I hadn’t done that since I hurt my back 3 months ago. Did fine, great confidence builder but didn’t see any action…..nada. I went out a couple of days later and took a nice swim in THE DEEP but again no action, even very little plankton to see. I did notice lots of Cormorants heading north, I did today too.

Part of my extended family from Quebec is here; Jean-Luc and Brigitte. They joined me in a kayak this morning and though yet again we didn’t see anything, it was a delight for me to just have them with me in the zone.

Brigitte & Jean-Luc

The following is not my picture nor do I know if it is REAL. People are photo shopping all kinds of things and I have been taken in more than once. Nevertheless, I am putting this in as a metaphor for how I FEEL when I swim with members of The Cetacean Nation. I am anticipating lots of water time with my Whale and Dolphin friends again this season.

Grateful & Honored

And last, but the proverbial, “not least”, how bout them Niners?

This is a reminder I use now and again when I feel a little fear.

I suppose the biggest news at this point is that after 2 ½ months of chronic back pain I seem to be well again. I actually had the confidence to go out kayaking this morning. A short one, maybe a ½ mile out but I did do two egresses and returns into the kayak (sit on top) and a bit of snorkeling. Right now my back feels fine so I am more hopeful than ever that this episode of physical discomfort is over.

On the 10th I had my first scorpion in the trailer. No big deal, I’ve had as many as 6-8 in a year and this is the first in 2 years. Found him in my sink in the morning….annihilation! I’m at 93 cosmically challenged Scorpions since the 17th.

Right now I am sitting on the roof of my dear Q’s home, looking out to Sea (binocs ready), Vodka at my side, music on my iPod…..and I know, as “Suzy Q” starts playing (the music playing when I hit my “Stride” on Mescaline for the first time), that my Whale People are coming!!! HooHah!!! Yeah, I’m definitely feeling better. AND I have a SWEETHEART!!!

Here’s a shot of my new Spiny Tailed Iguana friend Gomez in front of his house. He’s lost his adolescent green and is launching into REPTILE WORLD, so cool!

Gomez

Now, every now and again I see something on FB or sent to me by someone that REALLY cracks me up. Don’t know exactly why but this one, well, for me I “laughed till I cried”. Don’t know what it will do for you but check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

On a bit more “awesome” level, check this out….the glory of nature, why I became a biologist (is that what I am?)
http://www.dogwork.com/owfo8/

The other day I took my camera down to the beach in case I might see something “special”, hah! Check these shots! I am blessed!!

Caracara

Looking North

Texture

Plover

Stick Insect

And how do some people in this world deal with their connection with this GRAND, BEAUTIFUL experience? Watch and know, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!! BTW: this is an “UPPER”!
http://www.snotr.com/video/7331/The_Living_Bridge

Well, I got my 15 minutes of fame, two paragraphs in a slick magazine in La Paz for my “Orca Swim”. Page 32-33
http://issuu.com/paradisemags/docs/paradise_magazine_ba_10aa56

So, not only has my work for the last 7 years (eighth season coming up…HOT DOG!!) helped initiate an MMPA, it appears that our work indicates there are more Humpbacks than we thought. They are coming back after all those years of killing them (1500 in The Entire North Pacific in the 60's). I am on my knees with gratitude, I face the Eagle Nierca to The East and The Arch Angel Raphael, The Divine Healer who also resides there, and the tears stream, I have done something, I am content!!

Grateful and HAPPY, see why below
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-higher-endangered-humpback-whales-north.html

None of this would have been possible without every and ONE of you. May The Great Mystery embrace you as I would.

And on a completely different note....how about those 49er's? As a kid in the 50'sI used to watch them practice at Keasar Stadium in SF and I am still a fan!