Orcas of the Gulf [Paperback]

Gerard Gormley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2000

Book Description:rcas of the Gulf will be a pleasure to anyone who wants to explore the realities of nature. Mr. Gormley's awe and respect for these magnificent whales is shared with us as a small pod of orca pass through the familiar waters off New England. We find ourselves enveloped in the interlocked, interwoven spectrum of the sea; everyday life to the orca, white water drama and magical beauty to Man. Much seems incredible, impossible, even mythical, yet the author has included every available bit of science in his exciting and educational narrative. He takes us a few steps farther than science has yet gone with common sense and realism, challenging the scientists to discover the full world of the orca. His narrative theories on perception, communication, pod society and chillingly realistic assessment of human impact are most interesting. The values and perceptions expressed in this work are not human, but they may just be the orca's, and we can all learn from that.?/p> -William W. Rossiter, Vice President Cetacean Society InternationalAuthor bio:Gerard Gormley lives in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, where he studies sea life, especially cetaceans, as an avocation. His previous natural history, A Dolphin Summer, won broad critical acclaim for its artistic and scientific merit. His third nature book, about humpback whales, is in progress. Formerly a submariner and science writer, Mr. Gormley supplements his writing income by selling collectible books over the Internet.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- A wealth of information for serious students. Gormley writes of this group of cetaceans with emotional intensity and, at the same time, scientific detachment. The result is an exciting blend of narrative and natural history giving vivid, even ghastly, descriptions of the orcas as they hunt, feed, and kill; Stephen King's fiction pales in comparison. Through the well-documented text, it becomes quite apparent why the orcas, feared even by white sharks, are also known for their social behavior, their gentler side. Researchers will be pleased with the rich appendix that includes 16 pages of bibliography, plus chapter notes and a detailed list of orca sightings and strandings. Within the body of the book can be found fascinating descriptions and analyses of the orcas' communication system, their sonar system for locating food, and their cooperative hunting behavior.
- Cynthia J. Rieben, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The values and perceptions expressed...are not human, but they may be the Orca's, and we can all learn from that." -- William W. Rossiter, Vice President, Cetacean Society International

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (August 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595011187
• ISBN-13: 978-0595011186
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,492,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by William Rossiter, Cetacean Society Int'l, December 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Orcas of the Gulf (Paperback)

"ORCAS OF THE GULF will be a pleasure to anyone who wants to explore the realities of nature. Mr. Gormley's awe and respect for these magnificent whales is shared with us as a small pod of orca pass through the familiar waters off New England. We find ourselves enveloped in the interlocked, interwoven spectrum of the sea; everyday life to the orca, white water drama and magical beauty to Man. Much seems incredible, impossible, even mythical, yet the author has included every available bit of science in his exciting and educational narrative. He takes us a few steps farther than science has yet gone, with common sense and realism, challenging the scientists to discover the full world of the orca. His narrative theories on perception, communication, pod society and chillingly realistic assessment of human impact are most interesting. The values and perceptions expressed in this work are not human, but they may just be the orca's, and we can all learn from that." William W. Rossiter, Vice President, Cetacean Society International.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review material supplied by author., October 12, 2000

By 

Gerard Gormley (Manchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orcas of the Gulf (Paperback)

ORCAS OF THE GULF is a natural history of killer whales in the Gulf of Maine, where orcas visit each summer to hunt bluefin tuna and other prey, including the occasional great whale. The book's narrative focuses on a pod of twelve orcas over a period of ten weeks, from mid-August through October. Everything in the book is based on fact. In its first printing, ORCAS OF THE GULF was voted one of the best popular science books of 1990 by Library Journal. Professor John A. Murray, editor of many anthologies on nature writing, later opined, "Mr. Gormley is the equal of any nature writer publishing today ... epic sweep and grandeur ... beauty and power of ... descriptions." Professor Murray compares the quality of Gormley's writing to that of Melville in MOBY DICK.

"ORCAS OF THE GULF will be a pleasure to anyone who wants to explore the realities of nature. Mr. Gormley's awe and respect for these magnificent whales is shared with us as a small pod of orca pass through the familiar waters off New England. We find ourselves enveloped in the interlocked, interwoven spectrum of the sea; everyday life to the orca, white water drama and magical beauty to Man. Much seems incredible, impossible, even mythical, yet the author has included every available bit of science in his exciting and educational narrative. He takes us a few steps farther than science has yet gone, with common sense and realism, challenging the scientists to discover the full world of the orca. His narrative theories on perception, communication, pod society and chillingly realistic assessment of human impact are most interesting. The values and perceptions expressed in this work are not human, but they may just be the orca's, and we can all learn from that." William W. Rossiter Vice President Cetacean Society International

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Professor John A. Murray, December 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Orcas of the Gulf (Paperback)

Professor John A. Murray, editor of many anthologies on nature writing. "Mr. Gormley is the equal of any nature writer publishing today ... epic sweep and grandeur ... beauty and power of ... descriptions." Professor Murray compares the quality of Gormley's writing to that of Melville in MOBY DICK.