Tomorrow's the big day. I'm meeting Shamu.
I saw a documentary on killer whales once, and quickly realized why the word "killer" preceded the word "whale."
When I think of whales, I think of baby belugas swimming the deep blue sea, wild and free. I think of mammals living in the sea that are kind and gentle giants.
As a kid, I really wanted to see a picture of a blue whale. The best I could get was a drawing. Pictures are finally available now, but there are no blue whales in captivity. If there were, it would have to be captive in Lake Michigan or something because they are so huge.
I don't known how a predator like the killer whale got the reputation of being a friend of children with a huge smile. Now I know why there aren't shows using baby seals and killer whales. These animals don't just eat krill. When I saw that documentary, I was horrified.
But even with all my disconcerted views on killer whales, I still want to see Shamu. Or Shamu IV or whatever Shamu we're up to now.
I'm really excited about it. Hopefully Shamu will be excited to see me, too. And hopefully he's been well fed that day.
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