Creature Meets Culture

29 - Why We Say "Canary in a Coal Mine"

Haley and Debbie are here to tell you the history behind the "canary in a coal mine" saying and there are tiny american flags, canary-sized oxygen cages, and lots of giggles. Let's Connect! instagram: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Dig episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/canary-in-a-coal-mine-literally/id1271238763?i=1000561501023 Show notes: digpodcast.org/2022/05/15/canary-in-a-coal-mine [https://digpodcast.org/2022/05/15/canary-in-a-coal-mine/] https://usbirdhistory.com/canaries-in-coal-mines/ https://www.britannica.com/science/respiratory-system/Birds https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312669029_The_Canary_in_the_Coal_Mine https://history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/coal/the-early-development-of-the-coal-industry-1874-1914/early-methods-and-technology/canaries-in-the-coal-mine.aspx https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-happened-canary-coal-mine-story-how-real-life-animal-helper-became-just-metaphor-180961570/ https://notyourgrandfathersmining.ca/canary-in-a-coal-mine https://nautil.us/when-canaries-actually-worked-in-coal-mines-1258467 https://boingboing.net/2026/04/27/an-1875-coffin-for-little-joe-the-canary-who-saved-a-mine-crew.html https://earthlife.net/canaries/

28 - Whale 52: The "Loneliest" Whale in the World

Haley and Debbie sit down for a story that inspired lots of tangents, opinions, and deep thoughts and reflections! In 1989, a military surveillence system picked up a whale call at a frequency never heard before. With a call at a frequency of 52 hertz, the whale earned its name and decades of fame to go along with it. When researchers studied and shared the story of this whale, thousands of people around the world resonated with the idea of calling out and not being answered or understood. Books, movies, songs, albums, poems, tattoos, and blog posts were created, and the story of the "loneliest" whale became cemented in history. In this episode, we explore the facts that buffer this story and add context, and we're so very excited to share this one with you! Let's Connect! instagram: @creaturemeetsculture gmail: creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com fable (join our book club!): fable.co/club/cmc-book-club-with-debbie-442046716793?club_type=free Sources: Netflix Documentary: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81446263?trackId=284616272&tctx=0%2C0%2C8f3ca2a0-9181-41a2-805a-a1936c3c0e6c%2C8f3ca2a0-9181-41a2-805a-a1936c3c0e6c%7C%3DeyJwYWdlSWQiOiI4ZTI4MzM1Ny1mZjM3LTQ3YzYtYjI2ZS04YzNmNTQ3N2RiOTMvMS8vd2hhbGUgNTIvMC8wIiwibG9jYWxTZWN0aW9uSWQiOiIyIn0%3D%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2CVideo%3A81446263%2CdetailsPagePlayButton Watkins' Publication: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223377110_Twelve_years_of_tracking_52-Hz_whale_calls_from_a_unique_source_in_ the_North_Pacific Blue Whale: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-whale Fin Whale: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/fin-whale Additional: https://cascadiaresearch.org/crc-and-the-loneliest-whale/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/648247/52-hertz-loneliest-whale-documentary https://niche-canada.org/2021/08/19/review-of-the-loneliest-whale-the-search-for-52/ List of Art inspired by Whale 52: MUSIC * "Whalien 52" — BTS (2015), from their album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 — about the isolation of fame, directly inspired by 52 * "Part of Me Apart From You" — Colin Stetson (2013), from New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light — not explicitly about 52, but the Montreal saxophonist has said publicly at live performances that the whale's story resonated deeply with the composition * "Ode to 52 Hz" — Kimiko Hahn, from her 2010 poetry collection Toxic Flora (this is a poem, not a song, but worth noting) * An unnamed full album written by a singer in New Mexico who quit his tech job to record it — mentioned in Leslie Jamison's essay but not named FILM & DOCUMENTARY * The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (2021) — dir. Joshua Zeman, exec. produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes * The Phantom 52 (2019) — animated short, premiered at Sundance, directed by Geoff Marslett, stars Tom Skerritt as the whale * The Loneliest (2014) — short mockumentary about two women searching for 52, dir. Lilian T. Mehrel, funded by an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant * 52Hz, I Love You (2017) — Taiwanese musical comedy film directed by Wei Te-sheng, loosely inspired by 52 * Whale 52: Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale (2025) — animated short, screened at Manhattan's IFC Center and the Woodstock Film Festival, animated by Bill Plympton, stars Bruce Vilanch * 52 Hertz Whales (2024) Japanese novelist Sonoko Machida published a novel in 2020 using 52 as a metaphor for voiceless lonely people finding each other — it was adapted into a film in 2024 (called 52-Hertz Whales). LITERATURE & ESSAYS * "52 Blue" — Leslie Jamison (2014), The Atavist Magazine, later collected in Make It Scream, Make It Burn (2019) * "52 Hertz" — Corrie Williamson (2014), prose poem * A children's song written by a singer in Michigan — mentioned in Jamison's essay, unnamed VISUAL ART * A sculpture made from old plastic bottles by an artist in upstate New York * Countless tattoos, fan art, and social media tributes — including a dedicated Twitter account with the hashtags #lonely and #sadlife

27 - War Dolphins: The Story Behind the U.S. Military's Most Unlikely Underwater Agent

Haley and Debbie are here for an episode that has been in the works since the inception of this podcast...The U.S. Navy's Dolphin program! Currently based out of Point Loma, San Diego, these dolphins have trained as couriers, as well as mine and enemy detectors. A large amount of the scientific research we have on bottlenose dolphins was also donw within this program, previously located at Point Mugu. Let's Be Friends! instagram: @creaturemeetsculture Sources: The Dolphin Doctor by Sam Ridgway: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/sam-ridgeway/584499/ https://acousticstoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Dolphin-Biosonar-Research.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21281220/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224554890_Research_with_Navy_Marine_Mammals_benefits_animal_care_conservation_and_biology

26 - The Hats, the Horses, and the History of the Kentucky Derby

Savanna and Debbie are here for the Kentucky Derby, unfortunately without their own hats for the occasion. Savanna lives in Lousiville so she's bringing us the history and traditions of America's most famous horse race. We're talking about the traditions, the hats (of course) and the names and wins that stand out the most. Let's be friends! creaturemeetscultures@gmail.com instagram: @creaturemeetsculture Sources: https://www.kentuckyderby.com/

25 - Buddy and Morris Frank: The Story Behind the First Guide Dog School in the United States

Savanna and Debbie bring you the story of Morris Frank, Dorothy Eustis, and a German Shepherd named Buddy. When dog trainer and breeder Dorthy Eustis writes an enthusiastic article for The Saturday Evening Post about seeing guide dogs lead the blind in Germany, Morris Frank's life is changed. Morris subsequently became the handler to a very unique guide dog, Buddy, who would convince an entire nation that the place of guide dogs in society was a valuable one worth advocating for. Let's Chat! @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetscultures@gmail.com Seeing Eye School: https://seeingeye.org Assistance Dogs International: https://assistancedogsinternational.org/ Sources: https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2016/04/post-article-launched-seeing-eye-program/ [https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2016/04/post-article-launched-seeing-eye-program/]  https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2010/12/06/through-buddys-eyes/ [https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2010/12/06/through-buddys-eyes/] https://seeingeye.org/the-seeing-eyes-early-beginnings-dorothy-harrison-eustis/ [https://seeingeye.org/the-seeing-eyes-early-beginnings-dorothy-harrison-eustis/] https://www.igdf.org.uk/guide-dogs/history-of-guide-dogs/ [https://www.igdf.org.uk/guide-dogs/history-of-guide-dogs/] https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/research/women-of-history-dorothy-harrison-eustis/ [https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/research/women-of-history-dorothy-harrison-eustis/] I also read The First Lady of the Seeing Eye by Morris Frank and Blake Clark, and it's kind of ahrd to come by. I got it on thriftbooks and it's not available right now but check with your local library! https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/first-lady-of-the-seeing-eye/13599847/#edition=20871265&idiq=35802609