Home Is Where Her Heart Is
When I saw Corky’s family in the wild, my heart broke for her. I did not expect to witness such a close-knit family of orcas and actually know a bit about their tragic history—I had known about Corky before my time at OrcaLab, but I didn’t realize she is the longest-held captive whale and the oldest whale in captivity in history. I did not know that her A23 family frequented these waters around Hanson Island. These heartbreaking statistics should bring her far more media attention.
Plenty of people are aware of Corky and of Paul Spong at OrcaLab, as well as others who have been fighting for her freedom since the day she was taken from her mother, A23 (Stripe). After seeing her family—her sister and the matriarch of the A23 matriline, A43 (Ripple), and her brother, A60 (Fife)—an idea struck me. If I could create a video of Corky hearing her family’s dialect and it went viral, perhaps it could help move the needle on her release. At the time, I didn’t realize this had already been done. Then I came across a video from 1993 on YouTube. It showed Corky’s entire body shuddering as she heard the calls of her A5 pod back in British Columbia.
It was a heartbreaking revelation. Thirty-two years after that video was taken—32 years after what could possibly have been the last time she ever hears her family—nothing has changed for Corky. The only changes in her life have been more losses and more time spent away from the world of sound and her living family members.
When I realized which whales I was looking at in the wild, I felt a lump in my throat and an overwhelming sense of guilt. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I have the freedom to choose where I go, and I was privileged to experience such beauty and peace on Hanson Island. But I thought, Who am I to experience the home that Corky was stolen from? I fell in love with a place that is not my home but has become my heart’s home.
For a whale, there is no place like home. And for a whale, home is family. Marine mammals must always be on the move, always connected to their pod and their waters.
Seeing Corky’s family in the wild gave me hope though. In a situation that often feels hopeless, I saw that it isn’t too late for her. She still has a home to return to… a family. This is why, before I left OrcaLab, I knew I had to do whatever I could to support Double Bay Sanctuary. The groundwork for Corky’s freedom has already been laid, with such a strong and thoughtful foundation. Yet there is still so much work to be done.
Visit the Bring Corky Home GoFundMe page to learn more about how you can get involved in this incredibly meaningful cause.
Follow my journey to support Double Bay Sanctuary more closely on instagram.
