Wilma, the Wild White Whale

WILMA THE WILD WHITE WHALE is based on a true story. The children of Guysborough Harbour, Nova Scotia adopted the orphan wild Beluga whale. They kept her safe from people and boats threatening to harm her. It is a touching story about the love Claire has for the baby beluga and how she puts the whale's needs above her own.

Wilma is the only documented case of a wild beluga living away from her pod so close to humans. She was a baby when she arrived in 1994 in Guysborough Harbour, Nova Scotia. She had been separated from her mother and the rest of her pod while following a fishing boat. Wilma adopted the people of Guysborough as her new family.

"Within such a small amount of text, Debbie Spring was able to capture the audience with an intriguing plot, in addition to educating the reader about these incredible mammals."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - reader, Amazon.com, 2002

Read more reviews...


FAQ: Do you write about true life experiences? Absolutely. I wrote the picture book, WILMA THE WILD WHITE WHALE after meeting the real beluga whale, Wilma.

When my husband and I were on vacation in Nova Scotia we came across a young boy at the dock, in the town of Guysborough.

He said, "Do you want to meet our residential whale?"

I said, "Do I!"

He told us to come back the next morning at ten. That was when Wilma always came to the harbor to play with the children.

The next morning, when my husband and I showed up, Wilma arrived right on time.

Wilma was the size of a bus and was wild, but I still played with her for an hour. I had the experience of a lifetime.

First I kayaked with her. She loved to swim under and around my kayak and she kept on taking off my "skeg". She allowed me to pat her.

Then I jumped into the cold water of the Guysborough Harbour and swam with Wilma. I even rode on her back!

I just had to write a picture book about Wilma.