Hunting the Dragon

by Peter L. Dixon

Billy Crawford is a blond, eighteen-year-old surfer from Southern California, working in Fiji as a surfing instructor. But when he gets fired for leading his students into some dangerous surf, his endless summer seems to be over, and he decides that it’s time to get a real job. He comes across a tuna clipper called Lucky Dragon whose crew is short a boatman, and the first mate offers him a job. What Billy doesn’t know is that the clipper finds tuna by following dolphins.

When Lucky Dragon sets its net for the first time, Billy witnesses a harrowing sight—dolphins being killed by the Dragon’s money-hungry pirates. When he attempts to save a dolphin who is caught in the tuna net, the Dragon’s captain tosses Billy and his belongings—including his surfboard—into the ocean and leaves. Fortunately, the dolphin Billy saved befriends him and tows him to shore, where he meets up with Benny, an activist for dolphins. Benny has raised enough money to buy an old navy ship, the Salvador, and plans to use it to ram and sink the Lucky Dragon. Along with Benny is Sarah, the pretty young daughter of Benny’s primary benefactor. Benny invites Billy to join his crusade, and Billy willingly accepts.

With the help of Billy’s dolphin friend, Chatter, the adventurers set out on a quest to save dolphins and to find Lucky Dragon and send it to the bottom of the sea. What transpires is a thrilling tale full of action, suspense, and even a little romance.

Genres: Young Adult

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2010

About the author

Peter Dixon helped to shape a culture of ocean enthusiasts. He was one of the creators of Flipper the dolphin, and wrote the first episode of the popular TV series. He is also the author of the biggest-selling surf book worldwide, The Complete Book of Surfing. Peter has written many other books and produced several documentaries. After meeting Phil Eastly - one of the first to dive into a tuna net to rescue trapped dolphins - Peter was inspired to write Hunting the Dragon.
He lives by the sea with his wife, Sarah, and they divide their time between California and New Zealand.

Reviews

[Crowinator · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this wooden, implausible, boring, and didactic. Too bad because the subject matter -- dolphins at the mercy of illegal tuna fishing boats -- has a lot of potential for a meaningful and exciting story. There were some good survival story moments when the hero Billy (the eighteen-year-old-but-reads-as-ten-year-old boy trying to stop a particular tuna boat called The Lucky Dragon, captained by the most stock villain ever to be written) is stranded at sea, but otherwise…I have rarely read such awkward writing in a published novel. Not good.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've finished Peter Dixon's HUNTING THE DRAGON and I found reading this book a bit difficult. The story concept had a lot of potential, but came off as a hackneyed disappointment.

A young surfing instructor is fired from his job after making a serious error in judgment that endangers his clients. He winds up taking on a job as a crewman aboard a commercial tuna fishing boat THE LUCK DRAGON. After witnessing the atrocities that occur in the illegal fishing operation, he attempts to rescue dolphins who are getting slaughtered in the DRAGON's fishing nets. The evil captain tosses the boy overboard in the middle of the South Pacific and leaves him for dead. He is rescued by the very dolphin he saved from the nets. Together they team up with an old dolphin activist whose quest is to sink the rogue tuna fisher in order to save the dolphins from massacre.

The writing is weak, and lacks sufficient detail to carry the story. The characterization is rushed, and the author misses a great opportunity to make the several unbelievable adventures into a memorable finished piece.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Language - R (74 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG-13
Billy made a stupid mistake and ended up on a boat that catches tuna. They also illegally catch and kill dolphins. Attempting to save the dolphins, Billy ends up abandoned overboard. Can he survive to make his revenge? With some help, possibly.
I found this book boring until he got thrown overboard roughly halfway through it. Before that point, I would have put it down if I wasn't so determined to finish it. I don't regret finishing it, but I wouldn't be missing anything if I hadn't picked it up. It was an interesting story about a young surfer getting involved in illegal business, but it wasn't amazing.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Judy]

Billy Crawford is a blond, eighteen-year-old surfer from Southern California, working in Fiji as a surfing guide. But when he gets fired for leading his guests into some dangerous surf, his endless summer seems to be over and he decides that it’s time to get a real job. He comes across a tuna clipper called FIC Dixon 334302

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of action in this message-laden story about an idealistic teen intent on stopping a fishing boat from senselessly killing dolphins in its hunt for tuna. Occasionally effective but mostly overwhelmed with didacticism.

[Ryan H · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was okay

[Kim Friese · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was good, but wasn't able to keep my attention very well and I moved on to another book with no interest in finishing this in the future.