Reflections of a Whale-Watcher [Paperback]

Michelle A. Gilders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 1995

[WE HOPE TO REPLACE THIS BLURB WITH A "NAME" BLURBER, BUT FOR NOW THIS IS IT.]
"This story about touching whales—and whales touching us—touches a cultural nerve. An important, informed, and insightful book. Powerful." —Lee Sterrenberg, Indiana University

"The first time I saw a whale, I looked into its eye and saw myself reflected." For Michelle Gilders, this moment was a revelation and becomes for us the start of a marvelous journey into the realm of the great whales. Gilders weaves a spellbinding account of her voyages through the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean in search of whales. Along the way, she takes us to the desert of Baja California to witness its diverse and remarkable wildlife. She recounts the whaling history of the area and the pressures brought to bear on this region and its wildlife. In the rough beauty of Baja, Gilders ponders ecological complexity, environmental issues, and ethical concerns, while immersing the reader in the sights and sounds of a desert awash in the whale-haunted seas.

Gilders's encounters with whales occasion reflections on such matters as speciation and evolution, the diversity of life, the role of politics and science in the treatment of animal populations, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that face us as we contemplate the possible sentience of non-human animals.

Written for a general readership, the book is an enthralling, deeply reflective, and scientifically accurate portrait of the great whales and our long and often troubled encounter with them.

A bit from the book if you'd like to use it:

"Whale-watching is a very personal experience. There is so much time for reflection that you get to know yourself better than you ever thought possible. Out on the ocean, with no distractions, you are forced to think for yourself and consider your own life and the lives of those around you. There are no guarantees that you will see whales at all. But no one can look at a whale without hope for the future, for them and for us. The landmarks that we judge our lives by, the bearings we use to pass through our terrestrial world, have no meaning here. This is a separate planet; this is Ocean."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There be whales here, all right, but you have to weather a heavy sea of prose to get to them. Gilders made four trips to the Sea of Cortez in Baja California between 1989 and 1992 to observe gray whales, blue whales, humpbacks and others. She proclaims early on that "the amateur whale-watcher need make no apology for emotional enthrallment and wide-eyed wonder." Unfortunately, the author parlays her wonder into an overlong discourse that zigzags from travelogue to zoology text to personal diary in a disorganized fashion that does the whale and the reader no favors. For every interesting nugget?and there are plenty, such as Gilders's speculation about why whales breach ("the biology of energetics tells us that the event must 'mean' something to the animal"), there are many more instances of vagueness ("My images of Baja are an amalgam of thoughts during and after the event, of changing perceptions, and of relating past histories and future potential to what we have in the present."). The pity is that Gilders doesn't seem to trust her material. During a narrative account of two male humpbacks clashing over a female, the reader is convinced. What need, then, for so many Zoology 101 and New Age detours ("you feel as though the dream continues, that the world around you is part of you and apart from you")? Perhaps there is a clue later on in the book, when Gilders writes, self-consciously, "There is an arrogance in the written word." One wishes at moments like this that there were less reflecting and more whale-watching.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This book has two parts, the first recounting the author's four whale-watching ventures and the second offering an extensive essay on bioethics. The whale-watching occurred in and around Baja California, Mexico, in the lagoons noted for the "friendlies," the gray whales that approach small boats full of humans and allow themselves to be touched. Gilders describes the connectedness she felt and the power and majesty of these incredible beings. She also offers detailed descriptions of the other creatures in the water and on the desert shores nearby. The second portion (though only about one-fifth of the book) is Gilders's extended bioethics lecture. She discusses why we must care about endangered species and their habitats, from the smallest insects to the magnificent blue whale. The result is a convincing and logical essay that includes a good history of the politics of whaling. Recommended for public and academic libraries. (Photos not seen.)-Nancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 269 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (February 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253209579
• ISBN-13: 978-0253209573
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,929,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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