Whale Journey
Origami Whale Project • Whale Conservation • Journey to Norway ~ 2024
"Every life in your animal and plant kingdoms is a soul with varying degrees of consciousness. Species-wide, the cetaceans are the most consciously and spiritually evolved souls on Earth. They volunteered to incarnate here in large forms to anchor in the oceans' depths the Light beamed from distant civilizations".
— Indigenous Elder
Trip to Lofoten Islands, Norway
AUGUST, 2024 - THIS JOURNEY IS FULL
Marianne Thompson and Mary Kirkendoll will embark on a 7-day exploration of the Lofoten Islands, one of Europe’s most remote archipelagos, anchored off Norway’s Northwest coast, just 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle. We will travel with a small group of 6 people to experience the midnight sun and all of the wonders of this rugged and beautiful land.
*Participants will have the option to join Marianne and Mary in Oslo for the Whale Journey events. Please inquire if interested (not included in trip cost)
DEPOSIT & REGISTRATION DEADLINE: DATES TBD
Cost, $3,000/pp (Deposit $1,500)
Payments are accepted in the online store via CC with an added fee of $99 or by check (PREFERRED) made out to Yoga of Kindness with no fees added. Please fill out the registration form either way in the store and you will choose “pay by check” or “credit card” when checking out.
What’s Included
7 nights accommodation in 2 different hotels (Trevarefabrikken / Holmen)
Food
Ferries to/from Bodø – Lofoten Islands
Guides and some group activities
Transportation to all sites and activities
What’s NOT included
Air travel
Tips for local staff
What’s Required
Open heart and adventurous spirit
Moderate fitness level
Comfortable clothing
Passport
About Whale Journey
Our main goal is to raise awareness about the plight of whales. These magnificent beings help produce more than half of the planet's oxygen supply. We must protect every whale for their sake and ours. Whales don't belong to one nation; their migration routes span the entire planet; they belong to our one family of sentient beings. In dolphin myths and whale legends around the world there is great wisdom that encourages us to listen to the cetaceans at a time when our planet is in great distress. There is a profound beacon of hope for human potential in healing our blue planet by following the wisdom of our beloved friends in the sea.
My name is Marianne
I was born in a whaling town on the southern coast of Norway. I was always playing outside as a child; in the woods and near the sea. I loved the ocean and the cetaceans. My elementary school years were filled with documentaries about Norwegian whaling expeditions to Antarctica. It broke my tender heart to see these gentle giants being hunted down and killed in the most brutal way. This horror was imprinted in the depths of my being. Many years later these painful memories resurfaced to be healed. I had a profound spiritual experience communicating with these beautiful whales that came to me in a moment of great revelation. This encounter and their message to me was the catalyst to start this conservation work. It was time for me to remember my ancestors and share with the world my personal stories and the wisdom of the whales intertwined with the latest science concerning our natural world.
Origami Whales Project - Peggy Oki
Sometime after Marianne’s encounter with the whales Mary joined her on an amazing Whale Journey project. Together they contacted Peggy Oki who for over 25 years has been an activist for cetaceans. She is the founder of Origami Whales Project. Since the late 80s something like 50.000 origami whales have been made by concerned citizens across the globe; most of these paper whales have been sewn into strands of 'whale curtains' exhibited as large scale public art projects that serve as powerful visual statements and also as memorials to all whales killed indirectly or directly at the hands of humans. We have been part of Origami Whales Project since 2019. Mary and Amartya have collected some hundreds of origami whales made mainly by people from the US but also from India, Lebanon, Portugal, and Norway. They have displayed our 'whale curtains' at different community gatherings as part of presentations about our conservancy work.
How to Make an Origami Whale
Children’s Book
A children's book is in the works; a story about a boy and an orca whale. The book was written by Marianne and is being illustrated by Laura Grimaldi.
Stay tuned for more updates.
The Inspiration
The film we want to make will be based on Marianne’s story with the whales; starting with her childhood years in Norway and ending with our conservation work today. Even though the film is based on her story we want it to be a stand alone film where the message about protection of whales runs through the narrative and visual art experience.
We are inspired by Prophette, a great eight minute film based on scientific evidence that whales improve the state of our planet.
The Director
Through a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, Gitanjali Jain, creator of Prophette, will direct the film. Lula, a young girl who is a descendant of whales, learns from her ancestors that she must embark on a mission to alter the way whales are treated. Together they travel to different parts of the world and use their songs to change some minds and hearts in order to revive the well-being of whales and our planet.
Composed by Gitanjali Jain, Prophette's soundtrack includes real whale songs by Humpback, Bowhead, Sperm Whale, Beluga, Orca, Finback and Bottlenose Dolphin recordings, courtesy of Watkins Marine Mammal Sound Database, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
Ralph Chami, Conservationist
Ralph Chami, an economist and an inspiration to us in our conservation work. He is taking action to protect these extraordinarily important species that are endangered worldwide. Ralph is making the protection of whales an economic benefit; great immediate benefits for the world's nations. He is definitely doing some pioneer work in the field of economy bringing attention to the true worth of whales; how our survival as humans is directly linked to healthy, thriving, living whales.
Listen to Mary’s conversation with Ralph Chami about his Whale Journey to Baja, Mexico. The trip really woke him up to the urgent need to be a voice for nature and brought to the surface a question we all must face: do we value our next breath?
Articles by Ralph Chami
The Great Whale Conservancy
Sea of Cortez, Mexico
In February/March of 2020, Marianne had the amazing opportunity to go on an expedition in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, with co-founder and executive director of Great Whale Conservancy in the US, Michael Fishbach. Seeing blue whales up close was a profound experience. Michael's passion is connecting the scientific and conservation communities and forging actions that minimize human impact which is detrimental to the world's great whales. She was very inspired by being a part of this research adventure to continue dwelling into the science that is showing what a crucial role the whales play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.