In A Tale of a Sickly Whale, Dee Dee Conover recalls a chance encounter with a dying True’s beaked whale on the beach of her home island in Maine. Featuring hand-drawn imagery from the UK-based animators Rosanna Wan and Zuzanna Weiss, Conover’s reflection is a brief yet moving glimpse into the way that people can find not only a profound emotional connection with highly intelligent members of another species, but also a distinct impression of meaningful communication.
What is it like to make eye contact with a dying whale?
Producer: Michel Montreuil
Website: BBC Radio 4

videoBiology
What would it mean if we were able to ‘speak’ with whales?
65 minutes

videoEcology and environmental sciences
A whale can live 50-75 years. Its afterlife is equally long and spectacular
4 minutes

videoGender
Defying social pressure, a woman commits herself to lobster fishing and the sea
11 minutes

videoAgeing and death
Demystifying death – a palliative care specialist’s practical guide to life’s end
4 minutes

videoDeath
The beached carcass of a blue whale is a terrible, wondrous sight
4 minutes

videoMood and emotion
A dreamy animated tale of grief, friendship and a road trip to David Hockney’s house
3 minutes

videoSubcultures
What do tropical fish make of the strange creatures who love them so?
14 minutes

videoIllness and disease
‘This is what cancer looks like’: facing illness with humour, honesty and an iPhone
30 minutes

videoAnimals and humans
‘When it comes to the end, we all want the same things.’ Why animals need a good death
15 minutes