Orca: Visions of the Killer Whale [Anglais] [Relié]

From its haunting cover to the playful shot on its last page, this book is filled with enchanting photographs and artistic renderings of orcas by assorted contributors. It also contains detailed prose by Knudtson (Wisdom of Elders: Honoring Sacred Visions of Nature) about the history and evolution, habits and habitats, language and communication of the enormous animal. Although the author admits that "a human being can never fully grasp the interior reality of another life form," he notes that "few subjects present a greater challenge than does Orcinus Orca, the killer whale." Quotations from writers such as Cormac McCarthy and D.H. Lawrence encourage readers to reflect upon the power and beauty of orcas. A foreword by David Suzuki reminds readers, without being remotely preachy, to consider the plight of orcas kept in captivity. And there’s even a little sex-the author describes the "prolonged, sensual, courtship-like interactions between resident orcas," while explaining that no one has ever captured images of these private creatures actually mating in the wild.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Broché .

YA. A visual feast with additional textual nourishment. Knudtson presents a well-rounded look at the orca species, the animal itself, and its behavior. Logically arranged, the book opens with a historical view of the killer whale by indigenous peoples. This is followed by chapters discussing biological, anatomical, and social aspects of the orca written in clear prose. The effective conclusion discusses the creatures in light of present environmental concerns. The text is divided into easily identified subsections, and the index is sufficiently detailed. Outstanding, full-page photographs with clear, full-sentence captions appear throughout. A worthy purchase for curious naturalists and oceanography students.?Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This magnificent book reveals the long relationship between humanity and whales, assembling our knowledge about them from many different perspectives. Human beings and nature have been on a dangerous collision course in this century. The fate of orcas will tell us whether our species can learn that we must share the earth with other species, not compete with them.

-- From the foreword by David Suzuki

The powers and beauty and mystery of the orca seem never to lose their appeal. This book is an appreciation of the orca's gift to humankind, and Peter Knudtson's appraisal of that gift is among the best that I've seen.

-- Victor B. Scheffer, Ph.D.

Chairman (Retired), U.S. Marine

Mammal Commission

Quietly cruising through a Northern fiord, diving underwater with astonishing grace, or hurtling their bodies skyward in a leaping breach, killer whales have long been admired as one of the most intriguing and mysterious of all animals. This lavishly illustrated portrait of the killer whale, or orca, which inhabits all oceans throughout the world, presents this almost mythical sea mammal in all its mystery and grandeur.

In his poetic yet scientifically precise text, author Peter Knudtson offers visions of orca throughout the ages and across cultures, from the Kwakiutl reverence for and identification with killer whales to scientists' fascination with this intelligent, large-brained counterpart to both humans and wolves on land. Knudtson also describes in vivid detail the savvy, cooperative hunting techniques of killer whales as they race in ever tighter circles around a school of herring; the dramatic birth of a calf as it shoots from its mother's body like a torpedo; and the emerging evidence about the whales' exquisitely refined sonar and communication abilities. This compelling portrait concludes with a discussion of the ethics of orca captivity, environmental threats to wild populations, and a reassessment of orca's place in our world.

Throughout the book, spectacular full-color photographs capture the whales spy hopping, breaching, hunting for seals and salmon, and caring for their young. Photographs of the whales' habitat in various parts of the world are also included. The result is a shimmering vision of the magnificent, majestic orca.

Peter Knudtson's kaleidoscopic portrait of the orca, illustrated with 55 dramatic, full-color photos, explores the remarkable natural history and behavior of the world's preeminent aquatic predator. From a discussion of orca evolution, to an examination of their anatomical, physiological, and behavioral development, this book creates a compelling portrait of these majextic, magnificent creatures.

This magnificent book reveals the long relationship between humanity and whales, assembling our knowledge about them from many different perspectives. Human beings and nature have been on a dangerous collision course in this century. The fate of orcas will tell us whether our species can learn that we must share the earth with other species, not compete with them.

-- From the foreword by David Suzuki

The powers and beauty and mystery of the orca seem never to lose their appeal. This book is an appreciation of the orca's gift to humankind, and Peter Knudtson's appraisal of that gift is among the best that I've seen.

-- Victor B. Scheffer, Ph.D.

Chairman (Retired), U.S. Marine

Mammal Commission