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The Grandest of Lives: Eye to Eye with Whales
The largest creatures ever to inhabit the Earth, whales have long inspired awe in humans. But because they spend virtually all of their time beneath the ocean surface, little has been known about their lives. Now, with advances in technology, new facts and stunning discoveries are coming to light about these magnificent mammals. In The Grandest of Lives, wildlife biologist Douglas H. Chadwick takes readers inside the world of modern-day scientific whale observation, from gathering data to weathering storms to spirited scientific debate. Chadwick, who has followed and reported on whales for more than a decade, paints detailed portraits of five species — the humpback, northern bottlenose, blue whale, minke whale, and orca — that represent a cross-section of the forms and behaviors of cetaceans worldwide. All move seamlessly between natural history and more personal observations, vividly expressing Chadwick’s fondness and admiration for these amazing creatures, as well as the sheer joy of being among them.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 12, 2013
Five chapters each focusing on one species of whale: humpback, northern bottlenose, orca (actually a dolphin), minke, and blue. Lots of good information paired with a flowing writing style (I didn't find it dry as others have noted). Chadwick does an excellent job of combining scientific inquiry with true wonder, a fine line territory to dwell, and a mark of the new approach to ethology that is becoming more and more prevalent:
"Humans think they are special creatures, and we are. But trying to hoard certain valued qualities for Homo sapiens just by defining them as exclusively human is becoming a lost cause. It's bad science because it's driven by dogma, and it holds us back from learning exactly what it is that does make us unique. It can't be culture, language abilities, complex emotions, abstract thought, foresight, moral judgement, or a sense of self, because all those traits appear to have been demonstrated by at least one other species. And it can't be the vaunted size of our brains. Neanderthal brains were bigger than those of modern humans. Those of killer whales are four times the weight of ours."
In seeing that a writer/scientist takes that view, I am more prone to pay attention to what he has to say.
In writing about whales, one really cannot ignore the disgusting business of whaling, which isn't even completely a historical footnote yet, thanks to some backwards human thinking of Norway and Japan and the "regulatory" International Whaling Commission. The chapter about minke whales delves into this, they being the most common whale hunted. As with anything else I've ever learned about modern whaling, the facts (when they aren't obfuscated by propaganda) speak for themselves, and the thinly veiled lies and rationalizations make me sick. Indeed, the author can't refrain from being opinionated about this, even after consuming whale in Norway and Japan, which confused me, but there is this passage:
"Thus, those two thousand minkes annually hauled aboard whaleboats symbolize a much larger issue that the world is going to have to confront not long from now. I made an effort to meet people involved with the taking and selling of minke whales in both Norway and Japan and tried to better understand their views. It didn't change my opinion that commercial whaling trivializes magnificent lives, brushes aside widespread human sympathies, and undermines our sense of wonder at creation every time the sea turns red."
And later explained:
"It is that our humanity is defined in part by the moral decisions we make. Sooner or later, we are going to have to address those hard choices between the convenience of treating animals as commodities and our ethical responsibility toward sentient beings. Whales could be the starting point.... I suspect that, deep down, we know which way we are supposed to go. Despite my different forays into minke dining, I never considered ordering a meal of whale apart from my role as a journalist. I'm not really comfortable eating anything that huge and mysterious, least of all when it might very well be smarter than I am."
Not that I agree that intelligence need be a marker for which beings we should treat with morality, but if whales can indeed be a starting point, so be it. Sadly, you can't just have one starting point when it comes to the biology and health of the oceans and planet, but seriously Japan and Norway- just stop. Traditions schmaditions. Whaling isn't even all that traditional, especially not with motorized ships and harpoons.
Cetaceans are extremely fascinating (though every animal is when you focus on learning about them), and perhaps appear even more fascinating because there is still so many unknowns. Unknowns that I hope will one day become knowledge, if we humans don't destroy that possibility first.
"Humans think they are special creatures, and we are. But trying to hoard certain valued qualities for Homo sapiens just by defining them as exclusively human is becoming a lost cause. It's bad science because it's driven by dogma, and it holds us back from learning exactly what it is that does make us unique. It can't be culture, language abilities, complex emotions, abstract thought, foresight, moral judgement, or a sense of self, because all those traits appear to have been demonstrated by at least one other species. And it can't be the vaunted size of our brains. Neanderthal brains were bigger than those of modern humans. Those of killer whales are four times the weight of ours."
In seeing that a writer/scientist takes that view, I am more prone to pay attention to what he has to say.
In writing about whales, one really cannot ignore the disgusting business of whaling, which isn't even completely a historical footnote yet, thanks to some backwards human thinking of Norway and Japan and the "regulatory" International Whaling Commission. The chapter about minke whales delves into this, they being the most common whale hunted. As with anything else I've ever learned about modern whaling, the facts (when they aren't obfuscated by propaganda) speak for themselves, and the thinly veiled lies and rationalizations make me sick. Indeed, the author can't refrain from being opinionated about this, even after consuming whale in Norway and Japan, which confused me, but there is this passage:
"Thus, those two thousand minkes annually hauled aboard whaleboats symbolize a much larger issue that the world is going to have to confront not long from now. I made an effort to meet people involved with the taking and selling of minke whales in both Norway and Japan and tried to better understand their views. It didn't change my opinion that commercial whaling trivializes magnificent lives, brushes aside widespread human sympathies, and undermines our sense of wonder at creation every time the sea turns red."
And later explained:
"It is that our humanity is defined in part by the moral decisions we make. Sooner or later, we are going to have to address those hard choices between the convenience of treating animals as commodities and our ethical responsibility toward sentient beings. Whales could be the starting point.... I suspect that, deep down, we know which way we are supposed to go. Despite my different forays into minke dining, I never considered ordering a meal of whale apart from my role as a journalist. I'm not really comfortable eating anything that huge and mysterious, least of all when it might very well be smarter than I am."
Not that I agree that intelligence need be a marker for which beings we should treat with morality, but if whales can indeed be a starting point, so be it. Sadly, you can't just have one starting point when it comes to the biology and health of the oceans and planet, but seriously Japan and Norway- just stop. Traditions schmaditions. Whaling isn't even all that traditional, especially not with motorized ships and harpoons.
Cetaceans are extremely fascinating (though every animal is when you focus on learning about them), and perhaps appear even more fascinating because there is still so many unknowns. Unknowns that I hope will one day become knowledge, if we humans don't destroy that possibility first.
May 9, 2019
Very readable! I like the way it's broken up into five vignettes. Within each section, it did seem to jump a bit awkwardly at times - from one encounter to reminiscing about another and back - but overall it was very enjoyable.
October 30, 2016
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Mysticeti (Baleen/rorqual whales) or Odontoceti (Toothed whales)
The Singer: Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae - great-winged New Englander
Bubble netting fishing method - "...constructing a barrier around a fish school by exhaling air while swimming in a circle below." p. 39
The Diver: Bottlenose Whale
Beaked whale (Ziphiidae) family
Hyperoodon ampullatus - "above the tooth" and "flask" respectively - refers to prominent forehead and two small projected teeth common in males (p. 73)
The Killer: Orca
Orcinius orca - "whale from the underworld of the dead" p. 119
goosh daiheen - Tlingit Indian word for "the swirl left behind a killer whale's dorsal fin as it vanishes under the water." p. 110
Families/matrilines - either one or multiple closely related make up a pod; "Pods with common ancestors are considered a clan, and clans that regularly associate and share the same range form a distinct population, known as a community." p. 112
Resident, transient, and offshore populations - distinct diets/hunting strategies, dialects, rituals (greeting, mourning loss of a pod member)- 0rca culture
Sound pollution from low frequency active (LFA) sonar: "The energy emitted from this is so powerful that researchers have found whales and dolphins beached on shores of testing sites with their brains and inner ears leaking blood." p. 138
Quoting Blaise Pascal: "...we believe and understand vastly more than we know." p. 147
The Commoner: Minke Whale
"...the most abundant baleen whale in existence." p. 154
Most commonly still hunted in whaling industry
"Wide-ranging flexible food habits go hand in hand with the minke's global distribution and robust numbers...a minke that finds itself running out of one food source has the option of shifting to another somewhere nearby. This is the advantage of being a generalist rather than a specialist." p. 172
Whaling industry typically regulated like fishing, but "To lump whales and fish together because they both swim in the ocean hardly makes more sense than placing apes with, say, tree frogs under the jurisdiction of a Department of Branch Climbers." p. 175; whale meat can contain high levels of toxins because of pollution and the subsequent bioaccumulation (p. 193-4)
"It is that our humanity is defined in part by the moral decisions we make. Sooner or later, we are going to have to address those hard choices between the convenience of treating animals as commodities and our ethical responsibility toward sentient beings." p. 190
The Giant: Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus - "little mouse" p. 200
"...not only to be the largest of all mammals but also the most colossal beasts ever to appear in the history of life on Earth...An infant blue whale is twenty-three to twenty-seven feet long. It gains nine to ten pounds an hour while nursing fatty milk with the consistency of runny cheese until, by the age of six or seven months, the baby has almost doubled in length and increased its weight tenfold, to twenty-five tons.
"Algae to krill to giant whale is one of the simplest and most efficient of all food chains. It means that blues are only a couple of steps removed from dining directly on sunlight." p. 208
"Much as recordings of the bottlenose whale calls have to be slowed down for us to hear them because they are mostly above the range of frequencies our ears can detect, recordings of blue whales must be speeded up to be heard because the animals make their utterances in frequencies almost entirely below our range. Even then, they sound a lot like an earthquake...A blue whale close to a SOSUS hydrophone overloads the sensors so badly that they device can't record anything." p. 217
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Mysticeti (Baleen/rorqual whales) or Odontoceti (Toothed whales)
The Singer: Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae - great-winged New Englander
Bubble netting fishing method - "...constructing a barrier around a fish school by exhaling air while swimming in a circle below." p. 39
The Diver: Bottlenose Whale
Beaked whale (Ziphiidae) family
Hyperoodon ampullatus - "above the tooth" and "flask" respectively - refers to prominent forehead and two small projected teeth common in males (p. 73)
The Killer: Orca
Orcinius orca - "whale from the underworld of the dead" p. 119
goosh daiheen - Tlingit Indian word for "the swirl left behind a killer whale's dorsal fin as it vanishes under the water." p. 110
Families/matrilines - either one or multiple closely related make up a pod; "Pods with common ancestors are considered a clan, and clans that regularly associate and share the same range form a distinct population, known as a community." p. 112
Resident, transient, and offshore populations - distinct diets/hunting strategies, dialects, rituals (greeting, mourning loss of a pod member)- 0rca culture
Sound pollution from low frequency active (LFA) sonar: "The energy emitted from this is so powerful that researchers have found whales and dolphins beached on shores of testing sites with their brains and inner ears leaking blood." p. 138
Quoting Blaise Pascal: "...we believe and understand vastly more than we know." p. 147
The Commoner: Minke Whale
"...the most abundant baleen whale in existence." p. 154
Most commonly still hunted in whaling industry
"Wide-ranging flexible food habits go hand in hand with the minke's global distribution and robust numbers...a minke that finds itself running out of one food source has the option of shifting to another somewhere nearby. This is the advantage of being a generalist rather than a specialist." p. 172
Whaling industry typically regulated like fishing, but "To lump whales and fish together because they both swim in the ocean hardly makes more sense than placing apes with, say, tree frogs under the jurisdiction of a Department of Branch Climbers." p. 175; whale meat can contain high levels of toxins because of pollution and the subsequent bioaccumulation (p. 193-4)
"It is that our humanity is defined in part by the moral decisions we make. Sooner or later, we are going to have to address those hard choices between the convenience of treating animals as commodities and our ethical responsibility toward sentient beings." p. 190
The Giant: Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus - "little mouse" p. 200
"...not only to be the largest of all mammals but also the most colossal beasts ever to appear in the history of life on Earth...An infant blue whale is twenty-three to twenty-seven feet long. It gains nine to ten pounds an hour while nursing fatty milk with the consistency of runny cheese until, by the age of six or seven months, the baby has almost doubled in length and increased its weight tenfold, to twenty-five tons.
"Algae to krill to giant whale is one of the simplest and most efficient of all food chains. It means that blues are only a couple of steps removed from dining directly on sunlight." p. 208
"Much as recordings of the bottlenose whale calls have to be slowed down for us to hear them because they are mostly above the range of frequencies our ears can detect, recordings of blue whales must be speeded up to be heard because the animals make their utterances in frequencies almost entirely below our range. Even then, they sound a lot like an earthquake...A blue whale close to a SOSUS hydrophone overloads the sensors so badly that they device can't record anything." p. 217
November 23, 2009
This was a very good introductory book on five different whale species. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's humor and the way he mixed stories with facts. There were only two problems I had with the book, first the section on blue whales seemed a mix and match of ideas. I suppose this is most likely due to there being less information on the whales than others. In addition, the section where the author consumes whale meat disturbed me the most. Although he did say he would not do it outside the journalistic realm, it still disturbed me especially considering his knowledge of the plight of whales. I must say he lost some of my respect in those moments, as I am an avid proponent of whales and all animals as I am vegan. Overall, I would recommend this book to any nature lover and those curious about whales.
August 7, 2013
As a whale lover from way back, I was very excited to get this book! Aside from a few bits of dry prose, it did not let me down.
The book details the latest scientific studies available for five whale species. Facts and statistics are listed as well as social habits (where known), breeding locations, food sources and feeding techniques. Environmental pressures (excessive noise levels, pollution, ship collisions, commercial hunting) are explained.
Scientists endure long hours, temperature extremes, foul weather and frustrating searches in order to obtain what little we know about these animals. A good book for adults and young people (age 12+) who want to learn more.
The book details the latest scientific studies available for five whale species. Facts and statistics are listed as well as social habits (where known), breeding locations, food sources and feeding techniques. Environmental pressures (excessive noise levels, pollution, ship collisions, commercial hunting) are explained.
Scientists endure long hours, temperature extremes, foul weather and frustrating searches in order to obtain what little we know about these animals. A good book for adults and young people (age 12+) who want to learn more.
July 31, 2013
I went on a reading binge about whales last summer, and this was the best book I read. While addressing whales in all their wonder--their intelligence, sophisticated communication, and family bonds--it didn't indulge in the quasi-mystical silliness that plagues some whale books. Whales are smart, yes, but they can't read your mind.
July 20, 2009
A great introduction to 5 types of whales, discussing their differences and the things research has learned about each.
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December 9, 2009i only read the section on humpback whales b/c they are my favorite. i want to go see humpbacks in the ocean sometime. i guess i will have to get over my fear of scuba diving first...
August 2, 2011
Loved it. Easy to read and understand. INteresting facts on some little known whales. Would have liked a few more species to be represented.
January 25, 2014
A must read for any whale lover - or ocean lover for that matter!
March 11, 2016
Fantastic overview of some of our favorite cetaceans.
July 1, 2016
Who writes this garbage? Such beauty deserves better.
May 14, 2009
A wonderful portrait of five whales: minke, orca, humpback, bottlenose, and blue.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews