Letters to the Editor: Gray whales are dying. Humans have no right to be shocked or saddened

To the editor: We better not wring our hands and say how terrible it is that gray whales are inexplicably starving — gray whales that our children and grandchildren have a right to see. There never was any “right” for us to enjoy the presence of these creatures; it was always a privilege and a wonder and a gift, and we screwed it up.

Starvation is not inexplicable. We have known for decades that in addition to pillaging and poisoning our own habitat, humans have been pillaging and poisoning the whales’ too. And now it is they who are starving because of us.

Stop eating fish, and stop the indiscriminate, industrial slaughter of everything that lives in the ocean. Stop eating meat and poisoning the land, the waterways and our air. Nothing worth having is effortless.

If we want gray whales to survive, if we want the privilege and the wonder and the gift of seeing them and knowing that they exist, we have to “sacrifice” something. Given all our actions thus far, it is almost unjust that in so doing we will benefit immeasurably also.

Franziska Edwards, Seattle

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To the editor: The photos of the living gray whales captured perfectly every event that we too experienced when our boat from San Diego anchored for three days, at the end of February 2020, in the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California as part of an annual excursion organized by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro.

The feelings we had watching a gigantic mother gray whale glide under our boat and stroking her calf are hard to put into words.

It is truly disheartening to read about the mysterious mass die-offs of these astonishing mammals.

Steve and Diana Felszeghy, Whittier

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To the editor: I read the article about whale deaths with sadness and regret, but not surprise.

I don’t believe I’m an alarmist, but isn’t the earth dying? The climate, the water, the disappearing resources? I thought scientists had long since decided that humanity had only so long to survive on its current trajectory. Am I missing something?

It’s certainly worthwhile to detail the decline, but to feign alarm seems, at this point, delusional. This game’s over.

Kevin Moran, Costa Mesa

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To the editor: I understand the importance of the scientific method and not jumping to conclusions, but it seems illogical not to at least mention that there is a chance, a very good one at that, that whales are starving and searching for food in every corner of the ocean because humans are overfishing?

Beth Levine, Rockville, Md.