Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival

I'm not really keen on birds, but this book took my breath away. Carl Safina takes us to a small group of islands near Hawaii, where the albatross gathers to breed. There he joins a group of scientists not only studying nesting seabirds, but also sea turtles and sharks. In eloquent language Safina paints a living picture of these birds' lives and the delicate ecosystem of the oceans they depend upon. Even in these far-flung islands uninhabited by man, there are grave indications of mankind's influence upon the environment: ocean pollution, birds and mammals choking on plastics, the pervasive presence of a weed unwittingly introduced by a visitor to the island. The bird colony was so vividly portrayed at times I felt I was sitting there show more myself among the screaming thousands- in a place beautiful, harsh and remote. Even if you think, like me, that birds are a rather alien species, I would recommend Eye of the Albatross. It is an incredible book.

from the Dogear Diary show less

The whole book was brilliant for anyone interested in animals (esp. sea life) and nature. It’s filled with facts and anecdotes I found fascinating (an albatross circles the planet at the equivalent of the equator 3 1/2 times every year!!). And he does a really great job of taking you there. Whether there is Midway Island crammed with albatross is under every foot path, or to the bloody hooks of a fishing line drowning magnificent birds for no reason.

This is why I had to stop reading the book in the last third of it. Because, quite necessarily, he focuses on the horrors humans have wrought on these birds the oceans and nature itself. I just couldn’t continue anymore.

Already being a vegetarian who never liked fish, it left me feeling show more sad and hopeless because there is so little that we can actually do to stop this human destruction. show less

Carl Safina takes us on a long journey over the oceans with Amelia, an albatross who's been tagged so she can be followed by satellite. In the process, we learn not only about the incredible voyages of the albatross, but of the complex and fascinating ocean ecosystem that she depends on. Unfortunately, the human impact on the oceans, and all the life that depends on them, cannot be ignored -- wasteful and unsustainable fishing practices, the tons of plastic garbage that wind up in the water, the depredation of island and atoll habitats. It has been a couple of years since I read this book, but certain descriptions -- such as that of a mother albatross unable to feed her chick because a toothbrush is stuck in her throat, or how the show more Japanese almost exterminated colonies of albatross by hunting them -- will never be forgotten. Despite some truly horrible (though they need to be said) descriptions, the book's subtitle is "Visions of Hope and Survival," and some of my favorite parts involved researchers who are trying to help the species, such as a Japanese biologist who is striving to restore an albatross colony. Everyone who loves birds -- or the ocean -- should read this book! show less

I'm in love with Safina. I want him to write more books, right away. I want to sell all my worldly goods and devote my life to saving birds.

Safina's a delicious prose stylist with a clear, burning passion for animals. Highly recommended.

This is one of my favorite books. It was written by a newly minted PhD, who also happened to be a wonderful writer and who has now became an important conservationist. The topics he covers are broad, but most of the book focuses on the animals who inhabit the Pacific Ocean and human impact on their ecosystems. This description doesn't capture what is great about the book, however; his wonderfully evocative writing, his deep knowledge about his subject matter, and his light touch when delivering an opinion make it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I wasn't taken by this book - perhaps beacause I'm not a bird lover. However, I've always respected Safina's passion and commiment to the sustainability of our oceans and environment. There are moments in this book where the writing is truly poetic, eliciting insights into the links between animals and humans that make you lift your head from the page and pause to think. I'll continue reading Safina's works for these moments. He's also a fantastic speaker/presenter. It's worth Youtubing his work if you're interested.

The author is a MacArtuhur Fellow, Pew Fellow, 2000 winner of a Lannan award for literature and the president of the Blue Ocean Institute. Edward O. Wilson, author of The Future of Life said, "In this beautifully written work, Safina blends history and science to offer, in a seamlessly telescoped style, first an ecosystem, then a species, and finally one bird, the last as compellingly drawn as the protagonist of a novel. The general reader cannot fail to be pulled deeply into natural history by reading it." This includes references and is well indexed.