Listening to Whales

“[A] warm, energetic memoir … An engaging tale of a woman’s commitment to science and a life well lived.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An extraordinary book about an extraordinary woman… . This is a species that has learned to live in tolerance with each other, and to share the resources of their world so that all can survive. Would that our species could learn to do the same.”—Hamilton Spectator

“A passionate memoir by a true field biologist.”—Natural History

“Fascinating … [Morton’s] writing reflects a deep respect for whales in general and killer whales in particular. The reader will find her regard contagious.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

“This book will immerse you in a magical underwater world. It will bring you face to face with some of the most intelligent and mysterious creatures on earth. Alexandra Morton is a meticulous scientist, but she is not afraid to let her love for the whales illuminate her writing, nor her distress and anger at the harm we are inflicting on their world.”—Jane Goodall

“One of the world’s premier orca researchers … Morton has emerged as a champion for the welfare of whales and the preservation of their habitat. Listening to Whales is an unusual and involving tale of a life committed to interspecies communication.”—The Olympian

“[Morton] is field scientist in the tradition of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey… . Readers will be impressed by the physical hardships of field work, the moving account of the death of her marine photographer husband in a diving mishap, and her stories of rearing her children on shipboard and in an isolated coastal community.” —Library Journal

“Moments of quiet triumph illuminate this absorbing tale.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Absorbing, moving … [Morton’s] book gives us invaluable insight into complex, wonderful creatures. It’s an eloquent testament to one woman’s efforts at interspecies communication.”—The Calgary Sun

“Lyrical … hopeful … Listening to Whales is a fascinating journey into the heart of a research scientist captivated by these magnificent creatures.”—Miami Herald

“Leaves one questioning what we have done to our water-based, spy-hopping, family-loving cohabitants of this planet—and if we have not in the process diminished ourselves.”—The Georgia Straight magazine

“Remarkable … An extraordinary tale … Fascinating reading … Full of both poignant and distressing moments … One of the chief pleasures of her book is the straightforward quality of her prose; one finds oneself halfway through the book in the blink of an eye.”—The Grand Rapids Press

“As she wisely points out, what the whales need to survive—clean water, clean air, forests, and salmon—happen to be what we need as well.”—Sierra magazine

“Remarkably diverting … In plainspoken prose, Morton relates her work afield… . She writes of her personal life with unembroidered ease as well, which is extremely powerful.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This is biographical natural history at its best.”—Booklist

Born and raised in Connecticut, Alexandra Morton began her career in marine mammal research in 1976, when she moved to California to work for noted dolphin researcher, Dr. John C. Lilly. Since 1984 she has lived on the isolated central British Columbia coast, where she studies and records the language and habits of the various pods of orcas that swim the waters there.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.