The article went on to describe the efforts of one James Wickham — an English scientist — to create a whale oil industry in Utah by capturing two adult specimens near Australia and releasing them into the Great Salt Lake. True? No, but the idea caught on and became local folklore. The short film “Whales of the High Desert” examines the story and asks what it means to believe that whales could ever thrive here, so far from the ocean.
You can view the film “Whales of the High Desert” here.
GUESTS —
- Joseph LeBaron | Creative director and co-founder of The Good Line. He directed “Whales of the High Desert.”
- Lynne McNeill | Associate professor of folklore at Utah State University.
- Bonnie Baxter | Director of the Great Salt Lake Institute and professor of biology at Westminster College.
Airdate: Friday, August 25, 2023 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Rebroadcast: Thursday, April 18 at 9 a.m.