I used sentient because it is used, to my knowledge, when referring to a creature which can use free will to determine actions, not just act on instinct or follow commands.

I've seen video of a Crow solving a problem with no prior training. It simply figured out what to do on it's own with no help. That proves me wrong in differentiating between humans and animals by using the word sentient and how I understood it.

To be clear:

The whale is governed by instinct with limited problem solving intelligence. It will work out how to evade danger when threatened, but doesn't appreciate art or study mathematics. Can figure out how to get to difficult prey, but will open wide it's mouth and move forward rather than learn manners and what flavors go best together.

The crow solving a problem is demonstrating Sapience. A bird flying off when it hears a loud noise or sudden movement is displaying Sentience. Same thing with a cockroach fleeing a bright light for the darkness.

@Bradknowles: I think you've got the winning idea there. That is brilliant!

@Kallabecca: I believe I've already admitted using the word"sentient" wrong. My previous comment, second sentence of the second paragraph.

The crow solving a problem is demonstrating Sapience. A bird flying off when it hears a loud noise or sudden movement is displaying Sentience. Same thing with a cockroach fleeing a bright light for the darkness.

So, I hate to go Wikipedia on you, but with regards to Sentience , it says:

Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively. Eighteenth-century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think (reason) from the ability to feel (sentience). In modern Western philosophy, sentience is the ability to experience sensations (known in philosophy of mind as "qualia").

With regards to Sapience , it says:

Sapience is often defined as wisdom, or the ability of an organism or entity to act with appropriate judgement, a mental faculty which is a component of intelligence or alternatively may be considered an additional faculty, apart from intelligence, with its own properties. Robert Sternberg[20] has segregated the capacity for judgement from the general qualifiers for intelligence, which is closer to cognizant aptitude than to wisdom. Displaying sound judgement in a complex, dynamic environment is a hallmark of wisdom.

The word sapience is derived from the Latin sapientia, meaning "wisdom".[21] Related to this word is the Latin verb sapere, meaning "to taste, to be wise, to know"; the present participle of sapere forms part of Homo sapiens, the Latin binomial nomenclature created by Carolus Linnaeus to describe the human species. Linnaeus had originally given humans the species name of diurnus, meaning man of the day. But he later decided that the dominating feature of humans was wisdom, hence application of the name sapiens. His chosen biological name was intended to emphasize man's uniqueness and separation from the rest of the animal kingdom.

In fantasy fiction and science fiction, sapience often describes an essential human property that bestows "personhood" onto a non-human. It indicates that a computer, alien, mythical creature or other object will be treated as a completely human character, with similar rights, capabilities and desires as any human character. The words "sentience", "self-awareness" and "consciousness" are used in similar ways in science fiction.[22]

So, this question comes down to, can a crow or a cockroach "feel, perceive, or experience subjectively”? For a crow, I would say yes. For a Cockroach, I’m not convinced.

With regards to the original discussion for the Space Whale, I think we can safely say that it would definitely be Sentient. However, if it has the capacity to remember and to act with Wisdom regarding past experiences, then I think we could say that it is also Sapient.

Dolphins are certainly Sapient. You show them a mirror underwater, and they get that the thing they’re seeing is themselves. Afterwards, if you make a mark on the Dolphin that they can’t see directly, they will go to the mirror to see what the mark is and where it is. That is clearly Sapient behavior.

@Bradknowles: I think you've got the winning idea there. That is brilliant!

There is a whole Space Whale biology that you can construct here, based on what we know of the physics of stars and nebulas, plus what we can plausibly state with regards to other non-terrestrial life forms.

You could even go so far as to say that the Space Whales as we see them are a representation in our space-time of a higher dimensional being, and that they can use that higher dimensional aspect of their existence to allow them to travel in a way that is somewhat analogous to hyperspace. And so, they could travel between stars and other space phenomenon on a time scale that is closer to the way whales travel in the real world on planet Earth, and if they can travel through hyperspace (or something like it), then they would have much less risk of being caught in dangerous locations by lesser species.

If the Oswaft can do it, then why not your Space Whales?

For example, if they’re in a gravity well, and someone or something gets too close to them for their comfort, maybe they could “splash” their tail in hyperspace and cause all sorts of nasty phenomena to occur in the space-time continuum — i.e., basically exactly the same stuff that we try to avoid when we smaller creatures make the leap to hyperspace, when we carefully get out of the gravity well and towards a safe jump point.

So, what would happen if this kind of thing happened near a star, and stellar matter was ripped out from its previous location and sent in the general direction of the troublesome spacecraft? Just how large would the spacecraft have to be in order to be able to withstand having several billion tons of star stuff being materialized around it? If the “splash” was big enough, how much of the local space-time continuum could be completely and totally ripped to shreds?

On the flip side, what would the interaction between lesser beings and the Space Whales have to be, in order for them to allow the installation of a spaceport on or about their presence?

I think there’s lots of interesting questions that could be asked here. I could see potentially several novels being written on the subject.

How my whale would respond to a mirror depends on the timing. Most of the time he would start singing and do a dance, sort of. Seeing the other male doing the same would make him think his reflection was engaging in peaceful communication. During mating season, he'd see another male and attack.

But he would know to avoid something that previously caused pain. If attacked regularly, he would start figuring out how to better avoid the danger. Perhaps even start trying to avoid harm while fighting back.

Hence why those who seek shelter in it's innards have to play nice. Otherwise those with the same ship type would also suffer the whale's caution, or aggression. He can't tell the difference between a Z95 and a Z95 unless they were painted very different.

Where that puts the whale with regard to Sentience or sapience I don't know. I'd say it's a space dwelling mammal which behaves on instinct but can learn through repetition and can solve basic problems.

Representation of higher dimensional beings...who can swim in the galaxy the way whales swim in the ocean using mysterious means?

Oh yeeeaaah! I can work with that. Perhaps a space-folding organ. Or an unconscious connection to the Force. Both combined maybe?

Relationship to the lesser beings?

Based on my rough ideas, it barely notices them unless it feels threatened. Building inside it caused about as much pain as a insect sting.

I'm going to think more about that.

I'm also reminded of KotOR I when the Selkath went mad when they upset the progenitor. Perhaps there's a species innately attuned to the space whales. Herglics, perhaps?

I'm also reminded of KotOR I when the Selkath went mad when they upset the progenitor. Perhaps there's a species innately attuned to the space whales. Herglics, perhaps?

I was thinking of having a race who first set up the "Whale Waystation". Had some lame idea that squids went splat on their ship, whale smelt food and gulped them down. Rather than complain, they opted to try and make the most of it by making themselves at home.

Perhaps a race of Force Sensitives were on a holy pilgrimage when the whale "swam" from it's Force induced space folding to bask in a star's warm glow. They behold this wonder of Force creation and believe it is the Will of the Force that they should become one.

Could they see becoming one with the whale as becoming one with the universe? Did their greatest priests/shamans commune with the higher dimensional being?

Kaosoe, you might have found the missing link...and a good excuse to buy Force and Destiny. Not that buying anything Star Wars needs an excuse.

So what do I have so far?

It's a really big whale, the physical representation of higher dimensional beings in our universe.

It has a connection to the Force which, combined with a space folding organ, allows it to swim around the galaxy.

It spends a lot of time in a nebula, where it eats, breaths, sleeps and meets a mate. Bit of Barry White, glow of young stars and some juicy space squids...who said romance is dead. Likes to bask in the warm glow of a star, and likely gives birth there, so the wee baba gets lots of nourishment.

A Force sensitive race out to find the answer to life, the universe and everything encounter a whale after their 42nd hyperdrive jump. Their Arch-Force dude and his priestly hombres commune with the higher being who invites them to become one with his great whaleness. So they enter the gates to heaven, aka the whale's wide mouth, and then they start building a technological paradise in the whale's innards.

Now it's a safe haven for all who seek freedom from tyranny and oppression.

Free Willy: The Enlightenment