Monarchs of the Ocean

By Tyrone Berg

The world of a Sperm Whale is a challenge from the struggle to get the first breath until the last breath. A young Sperm Whale being born is under siege from the moment of birth, vulnerable through the years of a young calf, vulnerable through the juvenile years and in the school of life no lesson is easy, no lesson is a guidance to the next lev

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Jan 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647531317

Book preview

Chapter One

Sperm Whale Breeding Grounds Off the Galapagos Islands, 1942.

A pregnant female Sperm Whale struggles for the oceans surface protected by a circling pod of her family. After striving and struggle to reach the surface she finally breaks the surface to breathe as she blows water high into the air before she drifts back down again. Her extended family of females and young continuing to circle her excitedly as the pregnant female starts to give birth to a young calf.

As a new young life struggles to emerge from its mother the matriarch of the pod starts to circle out from the centre watching a deep dark depth ocean looking, watching and waiting. Whilst she patrols and protects the pod all other members of the pod have their attention focused inwards towards a new life.

As the expectant mother struggles to push its new calf out, a new young calf slowly emerges, tail fins first and then slowly but surely amid the calls of its mother a new Sperm Whale calf continues to emerge until finally a new born calf moves freely for the first time.

Finally, free from its mother, it struggles to move and calling out for the first time while two members of his new family move in next to him.

While she recovers the mothers after birth and blood wafts off, trailing well out behind an excited pod of Sperm Whales.

Coming in up from the dark depths of the ocean shapes appear drifting slowly towards the scene of the new born calf, spreading out and circling in the background.

The matriarch who has continued patrolling further out starts calling out warnings to her charges as she continues to patrol calling out the warnings endlessly.

The remainder of the pod responds mimicking the calls of their matriarch while they shepherd the young towards the area that the new born calf is as it continues its struggle to get to the surface.

Even as the young calves and juveniles are herded, they call out mimicking their mother’s calls, something that is vital to the pod’s safety throughout their lives. As they head into the safety of the centre of the defensive circle sharks are seen patrolling looking for the weaknesses that will lead to a successful hunt.

With sharks circling the adults form up their defense in a circular fashion some with their flukes (tails) facing inwards and some their tails facing outwards ready to snatch any shark using their large conical shaped teeth to tear it apart. The young of all sizes are now safely in the centre of the defensive circle calling out anxiously as anxious adults watch the sharks that are now commencing to probe their defensive circle in earnest but not yet making a full-blooded attack.

With sharks circling, probing, waiting, watching trying to create an opportunity for a meal the new calf must still continue its struggle for the surface or he will drown. He has two adults moving into position to help their new born pod member to get to the surface before he drowns. His mother comes near him too exhausted but anxious for her new born, she knows he will never be more vulnerable from drowning as he is now.

With the calf now supported by two adults it is gently pushed upwards towards the surface. With his mother nearby and two adults assisting the new born rises to the surface where it takes in its first breath blowing water into the air before it sinks back below the surface again and towards the defensive circle of the adults.

Coming back down two sharks make a move towards the young male but are swiftly dealt with, one by the new mother and the other by another adult. A third shark turns out and away before it too is dealt with by these two large threatening adults.

Even after the new born reaches safety within the defensive circle numerous sharks continue to probe for a way to get at him. The probing gets bolder as they zero in on a spot where a younger adult is situated in the encircling defense facing outwards as she waits, her nerves seemingly known to the sharks.

An initial rush by two sharks on this younger female comes to naught as one comes in too close to a large fluke to the younger females left and is hit hard being swept into the path of a second fluke and hit again. This time it hurtles off into the dark ocean, still not moving, it’s attack and life is over. The second shark turns sharply only just avoiding the jaws of the younger female and then the flukes of the large female on its right. All through this time another attack develops to the right when three other sharks rush the pod hoping to panic those inexperienced like the young adult and young thus breaking up the defensive wall.

From previous experience and instinct these sharks know that panic and fear is their best ally. They know it combines well with inexperience, they know they must exploit it.

Even though sharks continue probing the defensive wall that faces them, they seem to sense that a new calf presents a weakness and the moment that the young male heads back up to the surface with his mother and another large female they become the centre of an attack by no less than five sharks that initially drive in hard at the three sperm whales.

This time though the new born does not need assistance to reach the surface and he strives for the surface without assistance even though his mother stays close to his side.

A shark veers up and makes an attempt directly at the new born misjudging by missing a third sperm whale charging at the sharks making it attack a short lived by ripping it apart as it sweeps in from the pod adding additional protection for the young male.

Turning sharply onto another hapless shark it misjudges itself when it misses grabbing the shark, but it matters little as it hits it hard and within moments a large amount of blood streams out of the dead shark’s mouth as it drifts off towards the oceans surface. It becomes a consolation prize as two of its own kind tears into it like any other prey they may come across in the ocean.

Immediately after taking in his second breath he blows water out of his blow hole and drops down back in and under the water and is guided back down into the defensive circle again.

As the intensity of this initial assault wanes attacks become more sporadic as every now and then a shark attempts to come in closer, testing its luck. A lone shark turns in to try its luck and rushes in as it attempts to breakthrough. It comes in too close and is hit hard by one of the large female pod members tumbling out into the dark abyss blood trailing from its mouth and gills.

Calls of distress continue to echo through the water while a renewed attack develops amid the arrival of even more sharks from the dark distances. Joining the encirclement of the pod they too commence to endless probe the pod, searching and seeking a way to get in at the pods young.

Anxiety among those inexperienced and young rises as one after another the sharks keep coming in yet their unity holds and so does their position, held together by their matriarch. This is emphasized when another shark gets too close and is crushed in seconds by one of the Whales. Behind this another shark only just avoids the same fate as it turns away from another set of powerful whales jaws just in time.

This three-dimension battle continues below the surface as another, then another and another shark comes in circling, probing trying to panic these huge whales