Anne Kubitsky

Graycie’s Catch is based on a whale rescue that occurred off the coast of California:

On December 13th, 2005, a 50-foot Humpback whale was rescued by four divers near the Farallon Islands in California. At least 12 crab traps, weighing about 100 pounds each, hung off the whale. Realizing that it would soon drown with the weight, the divers cautiously approached the whale. It became very still as they cut lines from its mouth, flippers, and tail. “It seemed kind of affectionate, like a dog that’s happy to see you,” one diver said. “I never felt threatened. It was an amazing and unbelievable experience.” Once the whale was free, it swam in a circle around the divers. Stopping just a few feet away from the head diver, it slowly swam forward and nuzzled him in the chest. Then, it swam around all four divers for a quarter of an hour, greeting each diver with an affectionate nuzzle.

Although I am still looking for a publisher on this project, I am collaborating with Wallace J. Nichols, PhD., an ocean scientist and activist (whose just so happens to have a young daughter named Grayce), so that the book can be used in initiatives like the Live Blue Initiative and others. To watch footage from a whale rescue similar to this one, check this out.