SWAMPSCOTT — Jeana Khan is spearheading the mission to fund a plaque to memorialize Espresso the whale on Preston Beach, near the spot where it was buried after washing up on shore in May 2024.
Khan explained that the overall goal is to raise $700 from community donations to properly fund the procurement of the plaque, which will read: “Espresso, long may she wave, 2013-2024,” inscribed on it with a whale at the center of it, to commemorate Espresso’s occasional visits and honor its final resting place.
So far, Khan said that she’s halfway to her goal of being able to fund the plaque, but added that people can reach out to donate by emailing her at [email protected]. She can also be found on Venmo with the username “Jeana-Khan.”
For Khan, the efforts to keep Espresso’s memory alive amongst community members have become a personal mission.
“I’ve written three children’s books since I became a grandmother, and all three are inspired by ‘truth,’ and the first was based on a story about a baby whale that was lost in our harbors — people called her ‘Inland,’ because of her markings, that looked like she had an ‘I,’ and an ‘L,’ on her,” she said.
She recalled when she first heard about Espresso getting beached on the shore, where she resurfaced multiple times before her death.
“It created quite a stir, a lot of people came down… Children were yelling, ‘There’s a whale!’ because they had never seen a whale before, and it was very exciting to them. I don’t think they even realized she was dead,” Khan said. “I was disturbed by it.”
After Espresso died, the town worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Meninno Construction to dig a 10-foot-deep hole as a grave for the whale. According to the Marine Mammal Rescue, Espresso was a 41.7-foot-long female. She got her name after scientists observing her noted her tail was darker than the rest of her body, Khan explained.
“She came back two weeks later,” Khan said. “They dragged her miles out from the Marblehead side, and then she came back to the Swampscott side of the beaches — and then, once she had died, Swampscott decided they could bury her there — she came right up by the entrance of Preston Beach.”
Then, she decided she wanted to help memorialize Espresso since she was buried at Preston Beach, in order to help bring awareness in honor of her memory.
“I really love humpback whales,” she said. “I think they’re altruistic… I’ve heard a few stories now of whales trying to intervene in shark attacks against people; they’ll put their fins around the human and drag them to the boat. It’s very unusual, but they’re compassionate.”
She said that the Clifton Improvement Association has a small park near the entrance of Preston Beach, and reached out to the group for permission to place the plaque on one of the large nearby rocks.
“We’d have a little memorial for her, for all the people that were impacted and interested in her and other humpback whales,” Khan said. “It took a little while, but they finally got back to me and gave me permission, but they wouldn’t fund it.”
Khan continued, “I’ve found several companies in the United States that make these large bronze plaques, and I’ve tried to find the most economic one… I’m raising the funds for it now, and people who are interested can reach me at my email, or if they want to, they can Venmo me.”
Once the necessary funds have been procured and the plaque has been placed, Khan plans to gather donors and community members at the site of the memorial for a formal unveiling to mark the occasion.
