My First Meeting with Herman, A Whale

How would you feel if you asked the Universe your most pressing question and received an answer? During a health crisis in 2012, that is exactly what happened to me.

Desperate to completely heal my body for good, wanting to live pain-free in a body I could celebrate, I called out to the Universe, “How do I use my heart to heal?”

Many years of trying to heal my body led me to understand that I must use my most powerful gift, my heart. And while I never doubted the Universe would answer, the source of my answer was surprising. As I sat alone on my deck enjoying a magnificent sunset over Puget Sound, feeling alone and wishing someone was there to enjoy nature’s wonder with me, a colossal voice rose up and resonated throughout my body.

“You are never alone!” This was deeper than any human voice I had ever heard. This was otherworldly in its grandeur. Taken aback, I stood to look around. Silence surrounded me. There was no one else there. Then, my soul recognized the familiar presence of a distant past. It surrounded me, engulfed me in gladness. Tears of pure joy flowed.

This is how our conversations – those between me and the whale - began.

I know it may seem hard to believe at first, especially if you’ve never experienced a deep communion with nature, but I hope you will remain openminded and stay around for the full story because the messages I received from Herman the whale were not only for me. They are for you, too.

Once I realized what was happening, that the voice I heard was speaking to me, my imagination went wild wondering about the body attached to the deepest booming voice I had ever heard. With some trepidation, I asked, “Who is speaking?”

I calmed any notion of fear as I fervently searched my perceptions and emotions. A feeling that I was reunited with a long-lost friend washed over me. The feeling was certain and true. But how could this be?

Placing my hands to my face, then to my neck and on to my shirt, I realized I was drenched with tears. How could all of these tears come from only me? This brought me to my senses. It registered that yes, this indeed was happening, it was real! My entire body was overjoyed! The voice, the feeling of sheer joy and the tears – they were all real and it was happening to me.

Again, the voice spoke to me, letting me know he had known me for a very long time. He said there was no better teacher than he, a whale, to teach me how to use my heart, for he had the biggest heart on the planet. My doubting mind thought, well that is one way I can fact check this encounter. I will Google to discover if that is indeed true. (Incidentally, it is true that the blue whale has the largest heart of any living creature on earth.)

My tear-filled eyes scanned the horizon for a sign or spray of a whale for confirmation the whale was there, but in truth, my emotional, physical and spiritual bodies new it was all true. The was no doubt at all what was happening. 

On that first encounter, the whale suggested I refer to him as Herman. That day, Herman told me that unlike what popular opinion thinks about whales – that they need to be saved by us humans – that is not true. In fact, the contrary is true. It is humans that need saving. We are the ones in need of serious help. As Herman explained, that is another reason he came to me. Whales, our planetary elders, have inhabited the earth far longer than we humans. They have witnessed civilizations come and go. They remember how we are, they know our abilities, and their planetary mission is to remain here to remind us of these truths if only they can find humans who will listen. I listened then and continue to do so. Now, I ask, will you?