The Whale: The True Story of Luna

Gr 8 Up—Luna, a young Orca mysteriously separated from her pod, found herself alone and lonely in Nootka Sound near Vancouver Island in Canada. Orcas, like humans, are social animals and this little whale befriended the people she came into contact with. Magnificent footage of her interacting with people, enjoying back rubs and being petted, and yearning for companionship accompany a darker tale that explores the emotional lives of animals. In the five years Luna lived near people, for some she became a symbol of the wild, for others she was a nuisance, and for the First People of the region, Luna was a religious reincarnation of a deceased chieftain. The Canadian government took harsh measures to try to force Luna to leave the area and refused the help of scientists who worked to reunite her with her pod. The end of course was tragic: Luna was killed by a boat she was trying to befriend. While the footage and story is memorable, the overlong narration, repetitive interviews, and somber tone detract from the very emotional tale of a sad and lost animal. There is, however, the potential for in-depth classroom discussion concerning the obligation of humans toward the other creatures inhabiting our world.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY