Death of the Seaborne Ambassador

First of all a belated Happy New Year ! I am still alive, just in a new office doing a job where I actually have some work to do or more importantly am motivated to do some work.

More about the new office will follow. First of all, almost a week after a whale came into the centre of London I would like to salute this ambassador from the sea.

Since the whale sadly died last Saturday, a bit of a circus has followed. A watering can used to keep the whale's skin wet on it's boat trip was auctioned on ebay for entirely sincere reasons in order to raise money for the sea mammal rescue charity that helped to try and save the whale. However some of the chancers and jokers that are among the ranks of ebay members deliberately bid spuriously to over £100,000. This proved a hoax and a silly distraction from the original story.

That a whale came into the centre of London for the first time in recorded history is noteworthy enough. The public's reaction with huge interest and concern showed that love of animals is alive and well in Britain. More importantly this unique event reminds me how the environment is under threat across the globe and strange things may happen as a result.

Over fishing and pollution are well documented as having disastrous effects on the world's ocean. Last week one of the ocean's inhabitants came to the centre of London, even going past parliament. It was as if this young whale was on a protest or maybe even a warning mission that what we do in our cities ultimately effects the oceans and of course what happens in the oceans will one day effect our cities.

The whale's visit was a moving tale- one where concern and good intention were demonstrated but ultimately failed. Yet if some people are more motivated to try and help the oceans of the world and the environment in general, then maybe the London visit and death of this whale will not have been in vain. Thank you for visiting us ambassador! I don't think your death will have been in vain.