Narrating Whales in Southern Africa

Abstract

Though the whaling stations on the South African coast are now closed, whaling in the southern oceans, both ‘illegal’ and ‘scientific’, continues to be a matter of controversy. Exploitation clashes in complex ways with whale-watching as a touristic activity, now a major drawcard to South Africa’s coastline. It appears no thorough survey of the history and sociology of whaling has yet been written, nor of the progression of those emotional investments in the presence of whales that drive animal rights programmes and tourism alike. Such literature on whales as exists in southern Africa throws interesting sidelights on this presence. This article explores the issues through such literary works as Douglas Livingstone’s poetry and the fictions of Laurens Van Der Post, Zakes Mda, Lyall Watson and Mia Couto.

Keywords:  Whales, whaling, Southern Africa, fiction, poetry, Laurens van der Post, Zakes Mda, Mia Couto, Lyall Watson