Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught Us
by Alexandra Morton
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In Listening to Whales, Alexandra Morton shares spellbinding stories about her career in whale and dolphin research and what she has learned from and about these magnificent mammals. In the late 1970s, while working at Marineland in California, Alexandra pioneered the recording of orca sounds by dropping a hydrophone into the tank of two killer whales. She recorded the varied language of mating, childbirth, and even grief after the birth of a stillborn calf. At the same time she made the show more startling observation that the whales were inventing wonderful synchronized movements, a behavior that was soon recognized as a defining characteristic of orca society. In 1984, Alexandra moved to a remote bay in British Columbia to continue her research with wild orcas. Her recordings of the whales have led her to a deeper understanding of the mystery of whale echolocation, the vocal communication that enables the mammals to find their way in the dark sea. A fascinating study of the profound communion between humans and whales, this book will open your eyes anew to the wonders of the natural world. show lessTags
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Marine mammals captivated the author during her youth. With pluck and intelligence she created opportunities to study dolphins and whales without any significant institutional funding. What emerges is a fascinating portrait of a citizen-scientist who made a set of lifelong discoveries mainly about Orcas or killer whales. Along the way the reader learns about how and why whale captivity, fish farms, and marine noise sources are all harmful to many species. The author found for herself why these modern phenomena are undesirable, allowing the reader to share her analytical insights as they transpired. Alexandra Morton is also a fine writer and the book could have stood alone as a memoir of family life in a beautiful remote marine habitat show more apart from the wealth of information about whales. show less
I picked up this book right before spending a week camping and kayaking off Vancouver Island. Alexandra Morton has spent decades studying the vocalizations of Killer Whales. Her research has provided scientists with many insights on the behavior of Orcas. The book is filled with information on Orca behavior and society. Her stories about Killer Whales in captivity are heart wrenching and made me embarrassed for the way humans have treated these animals. The timing for reading this book was perfect - on our trip we got to see pods of Killer Whales 11 separate times. Unforgettable!
A truely beautiful read!
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9+ Works 245 Members
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- Reviews
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- Languages
- English
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- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
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