The Rescue of Nanoose

Alice Kidd is an editor with The New Catalyst editorial collective in
Lillooet, B.C.

We can always use another story of co-operation between humans and other
species. Mary Borrowman and Chloe O’Loughlin tell an exciting story
based on an actual incident on September 23, 1994, involving Mary’s
husband and another ship’s captain.

A large female humpback whale has become entangled in a thick rope,
fallen from a fishing boat. The rope has immobilized her fins and
effectively stopped her swimming and feeding. At first no one can find a
way to help her, but soon two skippers come to her rescue. One is
Captain Jim Borrowman, who runs a whale-watching business out of
Telegraph Cove, a small town at the north end of Vancouver Island. The
other is Mike Durban, who captains a charter boat. While one captain
controls things from above, the other dives into the freezing water and
cuts the rope, freeing the whale.

The colourful illustrations in this wonderful picture book not only
capture the beauty of the West Coast, they also nicely convey the
excitement of the rescue. One particularly memorable image of the rescue
boat and captain from under the water puts the reader beside the whale
in her struggles. Other participants in the rescue that day are featured
at the back of the book along with a section on marine life. Highly
recommended.