From the science readings, we learned about cetology, or the study of the whale. Melville used types of books as an analogy to classify types of whales. We also learned what happens to the human body when it drowns, based on a chapter from the novel The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger.
Blog about the ocean and its inhabitants. Write about your first trip there - fishing or swimming in it, or maybe sailing on it. Tell us about a time when you were face to face with a sea creature. Make an analogy of your experience to something else, as Melville does with whales and books.
35 comments:
When i was 12 years old I went to Puerto Rico with my friend and her family. When we were there we went snorkeling and i got to see all kinds of bright colored beautiful fish. What i remember most about this trip is one night we went kayaking and stopped to swim. four of us girls were swimming right next to each other and all the girls had gotten stung by a jellyfish besides me. The jellyfish had been in a school and the school was surrounding us! There were squishy pinkish looking creators everywhere! ~ Tasha :)
I have canoed the Allagash river twice. It is a 100 mile water way near the northern most point in Maine leading into Canada. A group of friends and I spent many days fishing and swimming in this river. We caught several fish and ate them as well. These two trips are my most memorable moments on the water.
I once went on a Whale Watching trip when I was about 7, possibly 8. It was a fun trip. We saw a whale rise right next to the boat, I was petrified by it's size! I never imagined a creature could be that big on the earth. I think there were also dolphins, but I can't remember. All I can remember is that whales are gigantic.
When I was in Key West, Florida I saw a manatee, in the ocean. I thought it was really cool because it was in the wild, and not in an aquarium. I love the ocean and going out on the boat in the summer. Although I'm terrified of sharks, and basically all the animals that can harm a human. I went whale watching last year, out of Casco Bay, but we did not see a whale, only a shark. Whales are my favorite animals so it would be awesome to see one!
My first trip to the ocean was when I was about five years old. I went swimming with my older brother and he put seaweed in my hair. I've never been sailing, but I've been boating with my uncle. I've never seen a sea creature face to face while being in the ocean.
One of the only memories I have had of the beach is when I was real little and me and my mom when to pemaquid beach where I went out on the sand bar to play. My mother an I stayed out there to long and the tied started to come in and the current because very hard to walk through. When I tried to swim back I found my self going know where and started to panic because I was little an not a strong swimmer. My mother and I finely got through the tied and back safe to the beach.
in 2009 I went on a cruse in the Caribbean where I went snorkeling off the island of Aruba and we went to a ship reck. I was swimming in a quarrel and if I didn't move for a second about 20 little tropical colorful fish would swim up an nibble on me for a few second and then I would shake and they would dissipate everywhere. It was a pretty cool experience to see all the fish and plant's they live in. The ocean is really a different world.
When I was 4 and we lived in Brazil, I was swimming in the ocean and I encountered a box head jelly fish. I avoided it and continued swimming. Fast forward about 12 years, I learned that what I encountered resembled like the box head jelly fish, which is known to be most dangerous species of jelly fish. Needless to say I was more scared then, then I was 12 years ago.
When I was 5 or 6, I went to the beach with my kindergarden class. We went & looked at tidal pools. I accidentally fell & stepped into a tidal pool, where a crab was living. The crab then attacked my foot. The crab's claws didn't feel very well. But that was the first time I ever actually encountered a sea creature. I now am always very careful of where I step when I go to the beach.
This past summer on ye olde lake sebago.. I had many encounters with natural structures and creatures. I battled the height of Frye's Leap, the large abundance of fish and other wildlife. Austin, Terry and I spent a large amount of time in the water. We taped a steak knife to a pole and attempted to harpoon fish. I have battled drowning on multiple occasions. In the end it all worked out and I am still alive...
When I was a little kid I went fishing with my dad and brother on Grand Manan, an island in Canada. It's on the Bay of Fundy and is very small. Most of the citizens that live on the island have been all around the island multiple times. I was on my cousin's boat with my family and we went into his herring weir. There was a full grown tuna that found its way into the weir and started eating a massive amount of his fish. We watched as they trapped the tuna with a net and a crew of more than 10 men pulled the 800 pound tuna up onto the boat to get him away from the herring. It was the most intense event I've ever had on the ocean because the boat was so small it looked like it was about to capsize just before they pulled the tuna on board.
I went to the beach. Laid down. I remember I was playing with a crab and then someone took some pictures of me. Tourists, act like they've never seen a crab before. All of a sudden the water swirled around into a whirlpool. Up out of the middle of the whirlpool comes out a GIGANTIC SQUID! I jumped at it my fists tense and flaring. It hit me while in mid air! I hit the rock ledge close by. I got up though and wiped the blood from my mouth. I jumped at it again and grabbed hold of the tentacle when it came back around to hit me. The giant squid tried shaking me off but I was too strong! I slid down the tentacle when the squid took a break and punched it in the face sending it back to where it belongs. At the bottom of the sea. I woke up from the nap then to a small crab walking by my face. It was pretty cute.
One summer I went to a friends camp with a bunch of my friends from band at school. We canoed around Big Sebago, and along the way you could look down into the water and see different kinds of fish. We stopped at an island and went for a swim. We saw a school of Large mouth bass swim by. Its freaky to turn around and see a ton of huge fish right in front of my face.
I went to my grandfathers when i was in 2nd grade and he lives in Florida. He has a big pond next to his house and he has a boat. The pond is filled with alligators. Me and my grandfather trapped this big alligator up against the side and it swam right under the boat, thought i was gonna die
A few years ago I went to Florida with my family. We went to Sea World and saw trained dolphins and killer whales swimming with people and doing tricks. It was amazing! It's so cool to see these animals that cannot speak doing tremendous things with people. The whales could eat someone in one bite, but they somehow learn to trust and obey.
My friend live right off of a pond in Gorham (big enough to be a lake but whatever) and we canoe across it to go to a rope swing. and it connects to a dam with a river behind their house where we go fishing and such. Last summer we went canoeing down from Sebago Lake to Presumpscot River by Lincoln Street in Westbrook. We had to portage about 7 times around dams in Windham and Gorham. It took about 4 and a half or 5 hours all together.
When I was 12 I went out into the ocean on a fishing boat for the first time with my dad. We went pretty far out to the point I could no longer see land. I was scared at first but after a while I got use to being all alone and isolated from everything. We caught many fish and ate them.
When I was about eight years old I went on a deep sea fishing trip with my brother and grandpa. This was the first time I had been out at sea and no matter where you looked you couldn't see any land. There were about twenty people on a large boat and you could either choose to fish for Mackerel a smaller fish, which is easier to catch or Blue fish a deep sea fish with sharp teeth and has been known to bite grown mens fingers off. Of course I went big and fished for Blue fish. While fishing I looked around nobody was catching a fish except for some Mackerel. It was slightly disappointing, until I felt a tug on the line. I pulled as hard as a could and started reeling in my line, my arms were getting really fatigued and my grandpa helped me. Suddenly as I looked down after about three minutes of reeling I could see the figure of the fish in the water thrashing back and forth struggling to pull itself back from where it came. When I pulled it up my grandpa took a look and had me stand back he called the guide over... it was a 3 foot Sand shark http://bit.ly/f38L6K (this link has an image of a similar Sand shark to the one I caught). I couldn't believe I had caught a shark. The guide then sighed and cut off the sharks head (I think he might have cursed at it) then threw the shark into the ocean. He explained to my grandpa how they were pests. As I gazed over the side of the boat, could see the body of the shark, triggering nerves as the body was still making swimming motions in the water. I thought it was so cool! Today I realize this story showed me how surprises come in all shapes and sizes, and as long as you have help your surprises can be fun and not so bad. If the guide had not been there too help me I'm not sure I'd still have all ten fingers.
my first trip to the ocean was when I was little. I went to the ocean in old orchard beach, I went there with my family we had a picnic lunch and stuff. I went swimming in the ocean and discovered that I did not like swimming in the ocean because the water was way way to salty. any ways when we were making our lunch our sandwiches a seagull flew down and ate the sandwich right out of my mom's hand. I don't have any other experiences with any real sea creatures i do remember how ever one time when I went to the ocean I remember seeing a seal on the top of a pile of rocks.
I went to the Ocean once.. One doesn't have to worry about urin. I went surfing with the many waves that most have traveled from around the world; at least from the nearest coast. Surfing waves is fun. I also like the salty feel of the water. Its always a nice day in the Ocean.
I remember one time being in Disney and going to Sea World. We went over to the stingray tank and we got to feed them with frozen fish. The feeling that they make when they eat the fish is very cool. It feels like a vacuum pulling up the fish. They are very nice when they are swimming around you feet.
When I was younger, My grandmother and I used to go sea glass hunting by the ocean. I don't live with my grandmother anymore, due to personal reasons. After spending so much time around the scent of the ocean, I have grown a fondness for it. Every piece of sea glass smelled like the salty ocean. We spent hours making crafts with the sea glass. The scent of the ocean was unleashed into our home when we emptied our findings of sea glass onto the table. Whenever I smell the salty scent of the ocean, I'm lost in reverie about my memories with my grandmother.
The first time I remember going out on the ocean was when I was 10. My dad, my papa and I all went out on a big power boat to go fishing. I loved being on the boat it was hard to walk around on because it was unstable rocking in the water when waves hit it. We went pretty far out when we stopped to drop our lines. I didn't really have the focus. I thought it would be more fun. I could not stay focused so I waited and waited until my dad finally caught one and it was a huge fish. After a long day of fishing we started heading back because it was getting dark. We tied the boat to the dock and then my dad drove us home.
This past summer i was up at a friends camp on Sebago lake. We were swimming back from his boat, and saw that a fish had been following us. Austin, Cody, and I found a pole and tape a large steak knife to it. I dived in the water(with no goggles, who doesnt have goggles at a camp on a lake? beats me) and began the hunt. I hit the fish a couple times but never wounded it. Cody did not have any success either. A old women then yelled at us for what we were doing so we had to stop.
Well since I live in Westbrook Maine I've been to the ocean many times in my life, I've never had a face to face encounter with a sea creature well on the beach but I went to a place were I could look at sharks and other creatures of the sea, and I swear the shark stared me in the eyes and wanted to eat me! but I remember when I was younger and I went to Old Orchard Beach with my brother and his friends and high tied was coming in and I got sucked out and my brother didn't even notice me Screaming his name or drifting out to sea but luckily his girlfriend at the time was and jump in and saved me! yeah that was a scary moment in my life.
In 3rd grade I went on a cruise to the Virgin Islands. When I was there I went snorkeling and swimming with dolphins. My sister and I we're both nervous about swimming with them, but after we started we had a lot of fun.
When I went to France before my freshman year of high school. My aunt and I went swimming and got to see all sorts of beautiful fish. I felt like I never had to come back up from the water. It felt peaceful.
A couple of years ago we went snorkeling in Trickey Pond. We start out from a beach and swim to this island. Around the island there are tons of little fish and then there are big small mouth bass. The best time to go snorkeling is when the bass are nesting because it is cool to see the fish up close protecting the eggs. When the fish are on there nest we try to catch them because it is easy to catch them off the nest. I use a lizard to catch the bass. When you bring the bass up it is all slime and it smells like fish. It is always a good time snorkeling and fishing.
My mom had me take swimming lessons before I went into the lake or ocean, once I was done with them, I went to my camp and crept in with my little floaties with my aunt. A huge snapping turtle was in the water, so she threw me up on the dock, and tried to get out as fast as possible. She, just like me, is scared of any moving thing in the water. I refuse to go into oceans above my knees, and the only time I'll go far out into lakes is if I'm on a boat or tubing. Sea creatures, are disgusting and beyond frightful to me.
I went to Old Orchard Beach when I was really young. My brother and I would collect bottles and cans all fall/winter long and return them for money. Then we would go and spend the day at the beach right next to Palace Play land. We would look forward to spending the day there all year. I guess a crap would be the first real sea creature I came face to face with. It turned out to be dead but I still think it had a face. It didn't say much or move so it was kind of a boring meeting with a sea creature.
Capt. Nemo here: Appreciate your including me in this project. It surprised me how much I learned about whales while researching your questions related to cetology. I still remember reading "Moby Dick" on my own and discovering for myself why it is considered a 'classic'. He tells a story in a different way than any other novelist I had read. Was nice to find that out for myself.
Natasha,
I have heard Puerto Rico is beautiful. Your post makes me want to visit there - or - anywhere in the Caribbean.
Capt. Nemo
Elliott,
The Allagash - twice. Wow. Imagine if Melville wrote about the Allagash.
Capt. Nemo
Austin,
Grand Manan: My brother has talked about visiting this island several times. Would love to chat about the island if you get a chance sometime.
Capt. Nemo
Kayla,
In chance you happened to get to the Riviera? Mr. Cutter was talking recently about how beautiful the French Riviera is.
Capt. Nemo
to all Moby Dick blogsters:
This has been a novel and creative use of technology. It has created 'threads' connecting science, history, art, and literature. Has allowed a different look at this novel than I had seen before and encouraged me to re-read some Melville. Thank you Mr. Gillis & everyone he took with him on this excursion. Capt. Nemo
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