Search for the Great Turtle Mother [Hardcover]

Jack Rudloe (Author), Marty Capron (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A rotating rock that exercises a directing force over the migration of sea turtles is the legendary Turtle Mother of Rudloe's (The Wilderness Coast: Adventures of a Naturalist Along Florida's Gulf Coast, LJ 3/1/88) quest. Recounts by Central American coastal inhabitants, fishermen, and academicians explain that Turtle Mother folklore provided a conservation ethic that guided early inhabitants to harvest turtles at a sustainable rate in contrast with current destructive practices. Travels through warring countries, confrontations with hostile poachers, and other hair-raising adventures are interwoven with the natural history of the sea turtle. The author speculates as to the role of rocks and magnetism in the homing ability of turtles and poses the mystery that these forces were known to the ancient Olmecs. This captivating book leaves the reader with a fresh perspective on the condition of marine turtles and the people who depend on them. Highly recommended for general readers.?Frank Reiser, Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, N.Y.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: Pineapple Press; 1st edition (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561640727
• ISBN-13: 978-1561640720
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,684,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jack Rudloe operates the popular Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories, Inc. in Panacea, Florida,(www.gulfspecimen.org) a unique environmental education center and public aquarium that supplies marine organisms to schools and research laboratories. The lab had its roots with John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, and from the later 1950's to the early 1960's they corresponded. Mr. Rudloe has been featured in several major television documentaries on PBS and was interviewed on the four times on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox Network and National Public Radio. In 1963-1964 he participated in International Indian Ocean Expedition, and has made collecting trips for the New York Aquarium (capturing the Giant Sea Roach from the Gulf depths and the Suriname Toadfish) and the National Cancer Institute and has written six highly acclaimed and widely reviewed non-fiction books on the sea. His novel "Potluck", a story of shrimping and smuggling is regarded as a Florida panhandle classic. Together, with his wife Anne, they have published articles in National Geographic Magazine, Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, Natural History, Audubon, and other magazines. Their most recent books are Chicken Wars (a novel about a divinely inspired rooster that leads a revolution and overthrows the chicken factory) and Shrimp, the Endless Quest for Pink Gold.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wild Ride: Myth and Science meet!, August 13, 1999

By 

Jef Murray ([e-mail]) (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Search for the Great Turtle Mother (Hardcover)

I've been reading Jack Rudloe's books for years, and have always been impressed with his ability to meld scientific fact with personal reflection and the "big questions". And "Search for the Great Turtle Mother" is his most personal and mystical journey yet. Blending the details of his quest for the facts behind an old Miskito Indian myth with speculations about our destiny as a species, this is a heartfelt and deeply moving book.

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone with a keen interest in marine wildlife, June 17, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Search for the Great Turtle Mother (Hardcover)

Jack Rudloe's Search For The Great Turtle Mother is one man's travelogue reflecting his lifelong love of sea turtles, an enthusiasm that led him to Central America, Malaysia, and other exotic places around the world in search of scientific knowledge of, and stories about, these marvelous creatures. Written by the founder and proprietor of the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory, Search For The Great Turtle Mother covers everything from the hypotheses that magnetic forces help guide sea turtle migration; to myths and legends about the Turtle Mother that instilled some native cultures with respect for these grand creatures, and which enabling them to harvest the turtles without rampantly destroying their population. Highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in marine wildlife, Search For The Great Turtle Mother is a welcome addition to personal reading list, as well as to school, and community library Wildlife Studies collections.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent exploration of sea turtle mythology., September 6, 1999

By 

David Melton (Huntsville, Alabama) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Search for the Great Turtle Mother (Hardcover)

I greatly enjoyed this book. It was extremely interesting learning about the common threads of sea turtle mythology in different cultures. What was lacking was more balance from the scientific side. I would have appreciated more information on the biology and natural history of sea turtles.