Non-Human Agency, Surprise Interventions, and Marine Futures. A Commentary on the ‘Whale’s Tail’ Metro Incident in Spijkenisse (NL)

Abstract

In November 2020, a sculpture of a whale’s tail installed next to a metro station in Spijkenisse (NL) caught a derailed train falling from the overhead platform, preventing total catastrophe by saving the driver’s life. In this article, I argue that the sculpture’s unexpected intervention is emblematic of the entanglement between human beings and the natural and built environment in the Anthropocene, and provides new insight into the independent agency of non- and more-than-human beings. In particular, the incident reveals the capacity of other-than-human entities to impact human lifeworlds by rewriting existing social and material relationships. By acting so decisively in a situation spun beyond human control, the artwork both saved the day and created a novel configuration of heterogeneous elements, the train-wreck-on-a-frame. Following the incident, I suggest that the autonomy of ‘things’ requires humanity to start cultivating an attitude of receptivity: to learn to listen to unexpected expressions of agency, and follow their cues for the development of a more-than-human future. Building on these insights, I review various interactions between human beings and the coastal and marine environment, demonstrating that other-than-human actors already intervene in our lifeworlds more frequently than might be expected. Examples include newfound knowledge on ocean currents and gyres resulting from container spills and dumped plastics; the capacity of near- and offshore capital structures to act as nursery habitats; and demands for additional space by rivers and the sea itself. I conclude that surprise interventions by non- and more-than-human actors can help shape future marine environments, benefiting all involved.