Awards

• Short-listed for Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Awards (United States).
• Winner of National Outdoor Book Award (United States).

Overview

Experience the hauntingly beautiful world of orcas, and discover the stories that unfold when humans enter oceans alongside them. Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award by the NOBA Foundation, Honorable mention for the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Awards by the Northland College When intrepid biology student Hanne Strager volunteered to be the cook on a small research vessel in Norway's Lofoten Islands, the trip inspired a decades-long journey into the lives of killer whales—and an exploration of people's complex relationships with the biggest predators on earth. The Killer Whale Journals chronicles the now internationally renowned science writer's fascinating adventures around the world, documenting Strager's personal experiences with orcas in the wild. Killer whales' incredible intelligence, long life spans, and strong family bonds lead many people to see them as kindred spirits in the sea. But not everyone feels this way—like wolves, orcas have been both beloved and vilified throughout human history. In this absorbing odyssey, Strager traces the complicated relationship between humans and killer whales, while delving into their behavior, biology, and ecology. She brings us along in her travels to the most remote corners of the world, battling the stormy Arctic seas of northern Norway with fellow biologists intent on decoding whale-song, interviewing First Nations conservationists in Vancouver, observing Inuit hunters in Greenland, and witnessing the dismantling of black market ""whale jails"" in the Russian wilderness of Kamchatka. Through these captivating stories, Strager introduces us to a diverse cast of characters from Inuit elders to Australian Aboriginal whalers and guides us through the world's wild waters, from fjords above the Arctic circle in Norway to the poaching-infested waters off Kamchatka. Featuring astonishing photographs from famed nature photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen, The Killer Whale Journals reveals rare and intimate moments of connection with these fierce, brilliant predators.

Full Product Details

9781421446226

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Reviews

Strager combines her worldwide adventures with the latest scientific knowledge on this species....The humility of Strager's stories and the underlying admiration for others, combined with a dose of science, history and her passion for orcas, will certainly foster awareness and curiosity in any reader. —Community Ecology

Strager combines her worldwide adventures with the latest scientific knowledge on this species....The humility of Strager's stories and the underlying admiration for others, combined with a dose of science, history and her passion for orcas, will certainly foster awareness and curiosity in any reader. —Community Ecology Meticulously researched.The writing style is engaging.The Killer Whale Journals is a fast-paced tour of killer whales and the people who live and work with them. —Oryx A poignant personal story told in stirring prose.What makes this book stand out from its predecessorsis its global scope.[Strager] provides some hope that we will finally find a way to coexist with these organisms. —H-Net Reviews in the Humanities & Social Sciences

Strager combines her worldwide adventures with the latest scientific knowledge on this species....The humility of Strager's stories and the underlying admiration for others, combined with a dose of science, history and her passion for orcas, will certainly foster awareness and curiosity in any reader. —Community Ecology Meticulously researched.The writing style is engaging.The Killer Whale Journals is a fast-paced tour of killer whales and the people who live and work with them. —Oryx

Author Information

Hanne Strager (COPENHAGEN, DK) is a biologist, whale researcher, and Director of Exhibitions and Visitor Experience at The Whale, a museum in Norway set to open in 2025. She cofounded a whale center in Norway and has served as the Director of Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. She is the author of A Modest Genius: The Story of Darwin's Life and How His Ideas Changed Everything.

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