Orca : visions of the killer whale

Book

Orca : visions of the killer whale / Peter Knudtson ; foreword by David Suzuki.

Summary:

The orca, also known as the killer whale, is one of the most intriguing and mysterious animals in the world. This lavishly illustrated portrait of this almost mythical sea mammal offers visions of the orca throughout the ages and across cultures, describing its hunting techniques and refined sonar and communication abilities. Full-color photographs capture whales breaching, playing, hunting, and caring for their young. The book also discusses the ethics of captivity and the environmental threats to whale populations.

Record details

ISBN: 1553650344
ISBN: 9781553650348
Physical Description: xvii, 110 pages : color illustrations, 1 color map ; 25 cm
Edition: 1st pbk. ed.
Publisher: Vancouver, B.C. ; Greystone Books, 2004, ©1996.

Content descriptions

General Note:: Previously published: San Francisco : Sierra Club Books, ©1996.
Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (pages 104-107).
Formatted Contents Note:: Prologue: Introducing Orca -- Remembering Orca -- Early Descriptions of Killer Whales and Dolphins -- A Kwakiutl Vision -- A Mythical Haida Sea Monster -- Orca Origins -- The Evolution of Whales -- The Killer Whale Family Tree -- Races of Killer Whales -- Shaped by the Sea -- Anatomy of a Blowhole -- Breathing and Diving -- Heat and Cold -- Colours and Contours -- Orca Society -- A Matriarchy of Whales -- Courtship and Mating -- Birth of a Killer Whale Calf.

Seasons of a Killer Whale's Life -- Cooperative Feeding on Herring in Norway -- Hunting Blue Whales in Mexico -- Hunting Seals in Argentina -- Killer Whale Communication -- Imagining Orca -- The Killer Whale's Brain -- Killer Whale Senses -- Echolocation: Pictures of Sound -- Epilogue: Honouring Orca.