Among WhalesAmong Whales presents the state of our most advanced knowledge about whales, but in doing so also embraces a rich variety of subjects and disciplines. It is a work of biology - cetacean, marine, and human; of exploration of sociology, of cultural mythology, of philosophy, and most certainly, of literature. As Payne takes us on a journey from the home territory we thought we knew and across the spectrum of life forms, we realize we are also on a journey of the heart, of discovery about the larger questions of life on earth. Among Whales addresses a broad scope of important and penetrating questions: How will the evolving composition of seawater affect life on earth? What is the device by which whales sing, and why do they do it? How can we know that whales use rhyme if we don't understand their language? For what purposes do dolphins use their unparalleled large and complex brains? What is the purpose of the human brain? What is the nature of wilderness? How and why do creatures come together in peace? Among Whales is unique in its scholarly integrity and breadth of vision, biologically absorbing and humanly rich. |
Contents
Preface | 15 |
Living Among Whales in Patagonia | 57 |
Behavior of Right Whales | 93 |
Copyright | |
8 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
able acoustic animals Antarctic Antarctic Ocean background noise baleen whales behavior biologist blips blue whales boat body bottom bowhead brain breath breeding grounds calf calves cetaceans chance cliff hut decibels deep deep sound channel distance dolphins earth energy entire example fact feeding feel females fin whales fish flippers frequency gray whales harpoon hear herd human humpback whales hundred hydrophones island kill killer whales kind krill listening lives look loud males mammals mating means migration miles million minke whales mother never ocean once orcas Patagonia PCBs Península Valdés pilot whales population porpoises possible prey probably propagate reciprocal altruism right whales scientists seems ship signal simply singing sound channel sperm whales subadult surface swim tail things thousand tion trying twenty hertz underwater watching waves whale songs whale species whale watching wild wind