Published in 1995 by Indiana University Press.
ISBN # 0-253-32572-2. US$16.95 + p&p. Order at 1-800-842-6796 or click the book button at the bottom of the page.
"The first time I saw a whale, I looked into its eye and saw myself reflected."
For Michelle Gilders, this moment was a revelation. It becomes for us the start of a marvelous journey into the realm of the great whales. Gilders weaves a spellbinding account of her voyages through the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean in search of whales. Along the way, she takes us to the desert of Baja California to witness its diverse and remarkable wildlife. She recounts the whaling history of the area and the pressures brought to bear on this region and its wildlife. In the rough beauty of Baja, Gilders ponders ecological complexity, environmental issues, and ethical concerns, while immersing the reader in the sights and sounds of a desert awash in the whale-haunted seas.
Gilders' encounters with whales occasion reflections on such matters as speciation and evolution, the diversity of life, the role of politics and science in the treatment of animal populations, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that face us as we comtemplate the sentience of nonhuman animals.
The book is an enthralling, deeply reflective, and scientifically accurate portrait of the great whales, and of the long and often troubled history of our encounters with them.
"Like Diane Ackerman in her Natural History of the Senses, Michelle Gilders has an uncanny ability to move between the personal and the universal and back again. Reflections of a Whale-Watcher is a remarkable book. It is elegant, comprehensive, intimate, and spirited. Gilders manages to weave mythology, history, literature, poetry, and a wealth of scientific information into a rich tapestry of whales and humankind. Her book is a renaissance piece in its range and depth of coverage."
--Art Wolfe, wildlife photographer and author.
For more information of Whales and Whale watching Go to "Whale-Watching From the Web"
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