Verified by 
Loneliness
Still Lonely and Friendless After 25 Years?
Embodying the loneliness of the human condition.
Posted March 8, 2015
He swims by himself, though it isn’t his preference, as he consistently has for the past quarter century – before iPhones, DVD’s, and even the World Wide Web. And in all likelihood, he will do so for years, in spite of his steadfast pleas for some other to join him or include him one way or another.
It’s not that he can’t be heard – in truth thousands have listened to him – or that he’s somehow hidden from view where others can’t see him (from other passersby). In spite of this, though, he remains alone, ignored and forgotten. And yet, even though I’ve never met him in person, his image still haunts me – as it does for so many others – an embodiment of the loneliness of our human condition… although he’s not human.
Simply put, he’s a whale, who we’ve dubbed “52”, not exactly an affectionate name stirring our empathy. He swims in the frigid waters of the North Pacific, mostly tracking a north-south path along the Alaska and California Currents in a course that meets up with other whales but then wanders off in far different directions, sometimes heading far out west toward the mid-Pacific. And the notes of the songs he sings hover roughly near 52 hertz – in the range of a tuba or contrabassoon, a frequency unsung by other known whales, presumably why they ignore or misunderstand him.
The researchers who’ve studied 52 suggest a number of theories for why his song differs from other whales. Most likely he suffers a deformation, which probably happened before his birth, that affects the patterns and notes of his songs. It’s possible that he’s the first of his kind – the unique offspring of an unlikely mating of blue and fin or humpback whales. Or, although it’s considered unlikely, perhaps 52 is the last survivor of some long-lost cetacean species. Whatever the cause, he swims alone, wandering purposefully through the Pacfic and singing songs that go unanswered.
I first heard of 52 eleven years ago, after the New York Times published the story, “Song of the Sea, a Capella and Unanswered” written by Andrew Revkin. Fast forward eight years later at the dinner table of The MacDowell Colony, I shared the story of 52 as I’d learned it through the years and written in the manuscript of my first book – with my empathy and understanding as a zoo behavioral medicine specialist: the anatomy and physiology of whales; the acoustics and reasoning behind the songs they sing, and the tragic dilemma 52 faces in his never ending struggle to connect with other whales. Around me at the table sat a film producer, a playwright, a painter, and a poet. And at the end of my tale, I saw in each of their eyes the same raw emotion I’ve felt through the years each time I share 52’s story. That evening, the filmmaker, Joshua Zeman, resolved to produce a feature-length documentary portraying the tragedy of 52’s life. And now, three later years later, his vow is coming to fruition.
The film, 52: The Search for Loneliest Whale, is now set to launch on an unprecedented expedition for twenty days into the North Pacific in search of 52. Aboard the research vessel, Josh and his fellow producers, Adrian Grenier and Lucy Cooper, will be joined by a world-class team of scientists, led by Drs. John Hildebrand and John Calambokodis (from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Cascadia Research Collective, respectively). And though not on the voyage, I’ll be joining them in spirit.
The quest of the film and the expedition is to explore how one whale’s journey in solitude can speak universally to us as human beings – the hundreds interviewed in Josh’s research for the film: marine biologists, oceanographers, journalists, artists, designers, musicians – whose work has been inspired by 52’s life… and the countless others whose hearts have been touched. But to reach 52 in search of some connection – some means to reach out to him through all his years of loneliness – the journey must be funded by those who see value in connecting to a whale, in sharing our humanity, compassion, and empathy with other species.
The Kickstarter Campaign for the expedition and the film ends on March 12. If you wish to contribute or learn more of 52, please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lonelywhale/help-us-find-lonely-wha…
