Whale of a Tale

Who says that there’s never any good news? Humphrey the whale has finally negotiated his way out of the labyrinthine Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and back out to the Pacific Ocean. The happy news made Page 1 even on a day featuring the redefection of a Soviet spy, a spate of pre-summit events and political crisis in the Philippines.

Of course, before we could get the good news of Humphrey headed for home, or wherever humpback whales go at this time of year (presumably Hawaii), we had to have the bad news. A 40-ton whale headed up the fresh waters of Shag Slough is not good news. Then, at one point in Humphrey’s 26-day meander in the delta, there was a report that he might really be Henrietta--and pregnant. Being expectant usually is good news, but not if you’re up Shag Slough.

The notion of Humphrey being pregnant was debunked (bad news for the errant scientist?), and underwater broadcasting of whale-eating noises finally lured Humphrey back into the salty waters of San Francisco Bay. That was better news for Humphrey than people beating on pipes--assuming that whale ears are anything like ours.

Finally, Humphrey had a last laugh by ducking his herders and swimming south around Alcatraz Island to give whale-watchers along San Francisco’s waterfront a grand view of the behemoth before he gave a farewell splash and sailed out the Golden Gate. That was good news all around.

Happy sails, Humphrey.