- Alex Wester

Whale of a Tale

      “Whoa!” That was the only thing Sarah Kellogg could say as she experienced one of the most memorable moments of her life. Sarah, a smiley blonde high school junior is preparing to take off to Alaska as part of the AGLP group for the fourth consecutive summer. Sarah feels the Alaska trips provide time for growth within herself and her friendships. She has countless memories and cannot wait to make more. So countless are her memories that when asked what her favorite is, she took upwards of five minutes to decide. Eventually, she told me this “whale of a tale.”
         It was Sarah’s third summer journey to Alaska and the group was on the much- anticipated whale- watching cruise. As Sarah walked across the deck with her friend Gregg, the combination of wind, cold, and rain stung her face. Sarah and Gregg headed to the side of the boat (to search for whales along the ocean’s surface). Sarah and Gregg looked far beyond the side of the white, double- deck Rainbow Tours cruise boat. After a great period of time, there was no sign of a whale- not even a blowhole explosion.
         Sarah and Gregg decided to head into the warm, toasty cabin. However, just as they turned their backs on the blue abyss, sounds of gasping from the side of the boat met their ears. They turned their heads only to see something unexpected.
         About fifty feet away was an enormous, “dirty grey” humpback whale breaching from the ocean’s surface. “The whale was huge so it looked a lot closer.” Sarah’s hazel- green eyes looked glazed over as she recalled this memory. “It was pretty intense, I’m not gonna lie.”
         Though on a three- week journey to one of our country’s most beautiful places, it is a challenge to encounter such a spectacular phenomenon. As Sarah rocked on the green Lay- Z- Boy, I could tell that this was a moment she would never forget. “This is something that will always connect me and Gregg.”