The Last White Seal Hunter

Gus Helmer is the last white seal hunter.

Helmer is an old man now and leans against the bow of his small boat with both hands grasping the rail and waits for the disturbance in the water to subside and end the rocking of the boat. He peers into the water below. The black shape of a huge killer whale passes just under the skiff, its outline distinct against the white clam shells that cover the bottom of the bay. He can only wait.

He thinks back on his life with a mixture of joy and sadness an...