The "August" Whale
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The "August" Whale
http://www.ngex.com/ngexreports/ngexsr082001.htm
History repeated itself on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, when a baby whale appeared at the Kuramo Beach in Lagos.
The first documented appearance of a whale in Nigeria was in the early 50's.
History has it that people travelled from all over Lagos to see it. However, the whale disappeared into the sea after some days. Whether it is a fairy-tale, only God knows. This could be the reason people scampered from all over the town to see the "August Whale" that touched the shores of Nigerian waters. But this time, it was a beheaded baby whale.
With intrigue swirling in the air, Lagosians swarmed out to the Kuramo Beach, on Victoria Island, abandoning their businesses to see a dead whale.
For a whale? Yes!, because this was not a common every day sight especially on the West African Coast. Around here, we only see them in movies and in the lifeless pages of newspapers. If there was risk involved in seeing this whale, many Lagosians decided it was worth it.
The coming of the whale was most momentous especially at a time when some worker's have not been paid, prices of goods and products are soaring, and tariffs are being jerked up. Lagosians needed a break from all these, and the whale was it.
The beach, which hitherto had little or no visitors, especially during weekdays, suddenly turned into an emergency tourist center with jeep owners and horse riders tearing their way through the 500 meter sandy terrain of the beach to see the whale.
The journey to the beach for those who came on the "pilgrimage" was like passing through the eye of the needle or police checkpoints.
And in typical Nigerian style the nefarious "Area Boys" set up "checkpoints" along the way. You couldn't pass until you paid the requisite "tax", typically around N50.
After about 35 minutes walk, on the sandy terrain of the beach, lay the lifeless body of the twenty feet long beheaded whale.
By the time NgEX! reporters arrived, it was already covered in machete cuts and was surrounded by scores of people who had come to celebrate its coming.
A most interesting "event" at the beach was the crushing presence of food vendors. You can trust Nigerians; every event provides a money-spilling avenue. The coming of the whale was it.
Within seconds a bus park had magically sprung up and you could get a bus to any part of Lagos from there. Even horse owners got into the game. With just a little token, tired legs could ride on horses to or from the scene of the whale.
The coming of the whale also raised the question of hunger. Within 3 days the 20 feet long whale was gone. Visitors had "shared" it. But it was a dead fish. Had it died from hunger?
As at Friday, 17th August, only a little part of the skull was left, Lagosians had "shared" it all. Many of them were seen brandishing the meat and the bone.
Was it a worthwhile souvenir ?
History repeated itself on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, when a baby whale appeared at the Kuramo Beach in Lagos.
The first documented appearance of a whale in Nigeria was in the early 50's.
History has it that people travelled from all over Lagos to see it. However, the whale disappeared into the sea after some days. Whether it is a fairy-tale, only God knows. This could be the reason people scampered from all over the town to see the "August Whale" that touched the shores of Nigerian waters. But this time, it was a beheaded baby whale.
With intrigue swirling in the air, Lagosians swarmed out to the Kuramo Beach, on Victoria Island, abandoning their businesses to see a dead whale.
For a whale? Yes!, because this was not a common every day sight especially on the West African Coast. Around here, we only see them in movies and in the lifeless pages of newspapers. If there was risk involved in seeing this whale, many Lagosians decided it was worth it.
The coming of the whale was most momentous especially at a time when some worker's have not been paid, prices of goods and products are soaring, and tariffs are being jerked up. Lagosians needed a break from all these, and the whale was it.
The beach, which hitherto had little or no visitors, especially during weekdays, suddenly turned into an emergency tourist center with jeep owners and horse riders tearing their way through the 500 meter sandy terrain of the beach to see the whale.
The journey to the beach for those who came on the "pilgrimage" was like passing through the eye of the needle or police checkpoints.
And in typical Nigerian style the nefarious "Area Boys" set up "checkpoints" along the way. You couldn't pass until you paid the requisite "tax", typically around N50.
After about 35 minutes walk, on the sandy terrain of the beach, lay the lifeless body of the twenty feet long beheaded whale.
By the time NgEX! reporters arrived, it was already covered in machete cuts and was surrounded by scores of people who had come to celebrate its coming.
A most interesting "event" at the beach was the crushing presence of food vendors. You can trust Nigerians; every event provides a money-spilling avenue. The coming of the whale was it.
Within seconds a bus park had magically sprung up and you could get a bus to any part of Lagos from there. Even horse owners got into the game. With just a little token, tired legs could ride on horses to or from the scene of the whale.
The coming of the whale also raised the question of hunger. Within 3 days the 20 feet long whale was gone. Visitors had "shared" it. But it was a dead fish. Had it died from hunger?
As at Friday, 17th August, only a little part of the skull was left, Lagosians had "shared" it all. Many of them were seen brandishing the meat and the bone.
Was it a worthwhile souvenir ?
WE ARE ALL TOGETHER!!