The Lives of Whales and Dolphins

More about the book

Moving through a dark, cool, watery world of their own, whales and dolphins are ancient creatures that have kept humans lost in amazement for thousands of years. This lively, highly accessible, generously illustrated book - the second in a series on animal behavior produced with the American Museum of Natural History - takes readers on a richly detailed, awe-inspiring journey through the lives of these intelligent and versatile mammals. Beginning with birth, the book follows seventy-five species of whales and dolphins through all stages of their existence, exploring how they learn, play, communicate, reproduce, fight, and express their emotions in song and graceful movement. Led by Richard Connor, one of the world's leading cetologists, readers will be presented the very latest research in the field - traveling to the icy waters off southeast Alaska to watch the eating habits of humpbacks, to the Arctic circle to hear the vocal virtuosos of beluga whales - "sea canaries" to sailors - and even to the Amazon to observe a pink river dolphin wind its way through a flooded tropical rain forest. Up-to-the-minute scientific information on orientation and navigation techniques, intelligence, and migration routes is offered, along with fascinating details about social dynamics, from tender courting rituals to domestic squabbles to gang behavior. Readers will also discover how the world of whales and dolphins is profoundly linked to the human story and how deeply our own behavior affects their existence.