The Year of the Whale

by Victor B. Scheffer

The Year of the Whale [hardcover] Scheffer, Victor B. [Jan 01, 1969]

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Natural History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Victor Blanchard Scheffer is a prominent American mammologist and the author of eleven books relating to naturalism.

Reviews

[Douglas Larson]

I read this book many years ago but found myself quite taken with the author's approach. It is a nonfiction book about whales but he weaves a fictional story about a specific whale throughout the book alternating between the fictional story and the factual information about whales. I found that this approach gives it a somewhat magical quality.

Victor Scheffer also wrote "The Year of the Seal" using the same format. I did enjoy that book too but found it not quite as appealing as this one.

[Nina]

I honestly had not thought about this book for decades, until It suddenly popped into my head while watching Planet Earth. I read and reread this book multiple times in junior and senior high school. I wonder if I can find a copy of it anywhere. I also wonder what ever happened to my copy of it. No doubt went up in flames with my childhood home some 20 years ago.

[Erika Westman]

This book lies close to my heart. The marriage of science and story. I love how the chapters about a little whale's life are intertwined with Scheffer's broader knowledge of the biology and conservation of whales. He was writing in a time before the world had worked out an agreement to ban whaling. But the hey days of whaling were clearly over, when populations of whales like the great big blue had gone from over 100,000 to just 1,000 due to gluttonous over-harvesting. While the day-to-day life of a young whale is well-animated, Scheffer also gives a good sense of how little we know about whales, how painstaking research is when the animals spend so much time beyond the places we go, below the sea, where people and their instruments cannot reach them. I'd love to read a version of this book written with today's insights of conservation and whale research. What have we learned over the past forty-five years?

[Anna]

A good read for whale enthusiasts who want to read a tale of the life of a sperm whale. mixed in are snippets of information on oceanic sounds, cetecean communication, evolution of tagging and tracking whales, and the similarities between marine mammal and land mammals during developement in the womb. Some of the behavioral information has changes and is out of date. Most of the information is accurate and gives background information on Navy sonar use and a few other hot topics in the marine environment today.

[Allie]

This book was exactly what it claimed to be: the chronicle of one year in the life of a sperm whale calf. There were a lot of great facts and some shipwreck action, but it was overall kind of boring. And natural history books don't have to be boring. I also felt like there were a lot of tugs at the heart strings about the plights of the whales that weren't really fleshed out. However, if you get the edition shown, the illustrations of the whales with the constellations that begin each chapter make the book worth getting for your shelf.

[Gabriella Ramirez]

As anyone’s local whale enjoyer, I was ecstatic to grab this when looking through the marine science section at Half Price Bookstore. I enjoyed Whale of the Wild by Rosanne Parry so when I read the blurb of this I was anticipating something very similar.

There are good parts such as the fun constellation illustrations and context of whaling and the study of cetaceans more specially the Sperm Whale but the main grip I have with this book is that that the author goes in and out of the story way too frequently. It interrupts the flow of the story of the Little Calf, and now that I think about it, there is little to no difference between the him from the beginning of the book to the end except his literal age. I was expecting some sort of story that would humanize the animals, to be honest, as that’s what the synopsis in the back implies, and was disappointed to find out that this book is really mostly about the history and practices of whaling than it is about telling a simple story about a baby Sperm Whale.

[John]

This beautiful little book describes the first year of a sperm whale's first year with his pack. The author covers the strong relationship that the young male sperm whale has with his mother and the two year dependence on his mother's milk. He captures the freedom of the whale's migrations in the endless cycle of feeding, avoiding danger (this was 1969, so much of that was from hunting and "harvesting" by Norway, Japan and the Russians.

Scheffer is a scientist and has a thick list of references to back up his telling of the tale of whales place in the animal kingdom and the history of whaling. The numbers leave one in awe that there are still these beautiful animals roaming our seas. Though a scientist by profession, the author is a philosopher and lyrical poet by bent and this is well worth your time.

[Lyn Sweetapple]

A brilliant book about Sperm whales and other cetaceans through the first year of a little calf. The fiction sections about the whale are interpersed with scientific facts though b0th are written in a delightful charming way. As it was written in 1969, three is a lot of information about whaling and the 1960s efforts to protect the species. I hope that Dr. Scheffer was able to see the protections put in place.

[Jenna]

Although I do enjoy marine biology as an outsider, I still felt an unnatural disconnect to this book. Small in size and easy to follow, but lacking any sort of direction. Also, note that there are some pretty gruesome scenes involving the whaling industry. And (hilariously) a snide comment about women not being able to stop talking. A meandering read but good moments woven throughout and did come away learning more about whales.

[Jim]

The journey of the whale is more interesting than our journey.... I love to say and write 'journey'...written in 1969, year of my birth... story grabbed me early and didn't let go... follows a calf... great whale stories... entering the head of an animal... great animated imagery....a mother sperm whale... real undersea experience.... whale to that of man... Susie, 1st sperm whale in captivity... young girl who frequented the aquarium... encapsulated, 1-page stories... early conservationist book...ease of slaughter.. compassionate tribute...a must for whale enthusiasts like me....

[Helena Wehr]

i loved this book! i read it by chance, and fell in love with it. it’s a perfect blend of funny anecdotes, interesting facts, and a sweet story of a little whale, all tied together with the theme of conservation and protecting these amazing creatures.

[Dillon Hanson]

Interesting book from a naturalists perspective. However, the mix of following the story of the calf and the random facts/stories made the book feel unorganized. Lacked a singular purpose/storyline.

(Sperm whale calf, whaling)

[Paul Potts]

Interesting to read about a whale book in the time of whaling ships. All they knew about whales is what they gathered on those killing boats.

[Tara Adams - DeVoy]

I read this when I was 20. I treasured it. Would love to read it again.

[Allie]

2.5

[Kira Lee]

I’m now an expert in 1970’s sperm whale science.
(Bit of a chore to get through, but creative concept!)

[Heidi]

4.5 stars

[J]

This is an older book whose pages have started to come out now that I have read it but I have been lucky. When I first moved to the state that I am living in I had the blessing to come across both "The Year of the Seal" and "The Year of the Whale" but I never got around to reading them while now I can say that I have.

"The Year of the Seal" was actually the best but then again there isn't mush estimating as to what a seal pup may go through, especially when he starts off land-bound. Victor seemed to have a bit of a problem with pulling off the Little Calf thus made the story seem repetitive. Many days may seem to be to us but we are talking a massive world that is under the sea.

There was also one month that almost didn't touch on the Little but went into detail the whaling operation. All in all I wanted to rage and cry at the way these whales were being treated although taking a look at the index proved many of these events fictional but some could have been actually done in real life.

For the one who is curious into learning about animals while getting a nice mix of actual fact combined I would recommend these books. The reading isn't too heavy at least in the story part while you can relate with some of the events whether seal or whale. And in the case of this there are some interesting pics at the beginning of each chapter.

Due to the book's age and the continuing march of scientific progress I would suggest reading it with a grain of salt. Some things may have been answered, some new information may have come to light and of course some information may have been disproven. Just enjoy the book for its value....

[T.R.]

An interesting, if old-fashioned, book on a year in the life of a sperm whale. The book blends fact and fiction-based-on-fact into a story of the life of a whale born in September through August of the following year. The more lyrical descriptive passages are interspersed by passages set in different type containing factual accounts, sidelights, anecdotes, and scientific findings on whales. One learns also about the changing seas, the growing 'harvest' of the sea, and declining whale populations (I could say, if you'll forgive the pun, humans catch a lot of cachalots!)

[Kathy Kaylor]

What can I say I was on a whale kick. I read Moby Dick and became fascinated first with whaling (six men in a 20 foot boat killing an 80 foot animal with barbed sticks)! and then whales . I spent a year reading anything I could find on whales - this and Moby Dick are the only one's I remember the names of.

[M Harris]

So far this is much better than I thought it would be. This is not just about some guy chronicling a whale he studied. It is a fictionalized, but extremely factual, story about a sperm whale calf. Interspersed are sections of nonfiction about whales. I am learning a lot but the writing flows in a way that makes it enjoyable. Very good book.

[Kate]

I think I've read this book but I can't actually remember. The copy I have was given to my parents in 1982 by close family friends. They thought it might be good to read aloud to my older sister. I remember it as a fixture on the bookshelf growing up.

[Dxarmbar06]

A fresh read. It left me with a deep respect for sperm whales and is written in a very crisp and subtle prose. It follows the first two years of a baby sperm whale and keeps you hooked the entire time. Very refreshing.

[colleen]

read 04.22.92

[Polly Kertis]

beautiful natural history of the sperm whale, written by a poet/scientist.

[Mark]

Plodding and stolid but full of interesting facts about whales. You might need to be interested in whales already to enjoy it.

[Nicola L]

3.5 stars...

[Jess]

3.5
beautiful and tragic

[Avi]

Fascinating and breathtaking.