pacific gray whale — blog

This mamma-baby connection is where oxytocin—the trust hormone—flows at peak levels, creating in both animals (the mom and the baby) the feeling of intense warm attachment. It is the way that the desire for warm attachment becomes part of an individual, staying with her for life and creating the desire and willingness that trust between animals might work. It feels really good to be connected in trust, and that's nature's way of making sure it happens. Yes, this is yet another way in which all mammals, ourselves included, are alike.

Unless we're very, very unlucky, we get lots of oxytocin from day one onward.

animal family, animal studies, anthrozoology, human-animal relationsAnne BenvenutiOctober 10, 2017mother-baby connection, oxytocin, attachment, trust, regulating emotions, pacific gray whale, Jaak Panksepp, Baja, San Ignacio lagoon, understanding across species, animal family, animal studies, affective brain systemsComment

Courting a Gray Whale: Matters of Essence, Matters of Scale

I have no idea how long ago I saw film footage of Jacques Cousteau in full diving suit, floating around in front of the eye of a whale, and then the interview in which he spoke of looking into the eye of the whale, seeing and being seen, how it changed him forever. Ever since then, I have wanted to look into the eye of a whale. I had heard that in the Baja lagoons, I would certainly see whales, and perhaps even touch one. But my secret highest hope as I packed for my Baja expedition in February was that I might look into the eye of a whale, that I might experience that seeing and being seen.

animal family, animal sanctuary, animal studies, anthrozoology, ecospirituality, human-animal relationsAnne BenvenutiMarch 30, 2013Jacques Cousteau, Baja, whale, Magdalena Bay, pacific gray whale, bioacoustics, animal personhood, animal sentience, animal family, animal courtshipComment