Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World (Samuel and Althea Stroum Books)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.44 (832 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0295994169 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 216 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-12-15 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Narwhals thrive in the fjords and inlets of northern Canada and Greenland. Among all the large whales on Earth, the most unusual and least studied is the narwhal, the northernmost whale on the planet and the one most threatened by global warming. In Colorado, he visits climatologists studying changes in the seasonal cycles of the Arctic ice. From a history of the trade in narwhal tusks to descriptions of narwhals' vocalizations as heard through hydrophones, Narwhals reveals the beauty and thrill of the narwhal and its habitat, and the threat it faces from a rapidly changing world.. These elusive whales, whose long tusks were the stuff of medieval European myths and Inuit legends, are uniquely adapted to the Arctic ecosystem and are able to dive below thick sheets of ice to depths of up to 1,500 meters in search of their prey-halibut, cod, and squid.Join Todd McLeish as he travels high above the Arctic circle to meet:Teams of scientific researchers studying the narwhal's life cycle and the mysteries of its tuskInuit storytellers and huntersAnimals that share the narwhal
From Booklist Narwhals stand out as a marine mammal of singular mystery, long linked to the unicorn myth and now tracked by scientists eager to learn about migration and breeding behaviors and the purpose behind their distinctive tusk. After consulting logbooks of nineteenth-century explorers and experiencing narwhal encounters in the frigid north, McLeish provides a broad view of the narwhal’s history and legend, remaining awestruck and deeply concerned for a species that remains a miraculous creation. --Colleen Mondor . As McLeish tries to form a picture of the narwhal’s place in the modern world, he quickly discovers there is little consensus on most aspects of the narwhal’s existence from current population figures to the impact of global warming on its future (it is likely as imperiled as
Excellent look at a little-known creature Todd McLeish gives us a great introduction to a striking animal. While most everyone knows about narwhals, all we remember it for is the tusk. As striking as that tusk or horn is (it's a giant tooth, essentially, but one that grows in a unique spiral pattern), there's a lot more to the animal than that.The author recounts his travels to see narwhals in North America, Greenland, and Icela. "Blow(hole)n Away!" according to Anthony J. Dzik. I've always been fascinated by narwhals and other Arctic wildlife and was excited to see this book come out. I was not disappointed. This is a wonderfully written book that deftly weaves together what is known about the natural history of this awesome creature , the author's personal experiences, and the possible impacts of global upon the denizens of the Arctic.. lyndonbrecht said Fairly good, rather informative. Could have been a little better written.. There isn't much on narwhals, so I had high hopes this would be the definitive book. It isn't, but I found lots of interesting detail I had not previously known.The author visited a number of places to talk with experts, native people and others knowledgeable about the animals. He overdoes the interviews and travel details, I think, and I found it got in the way of the narrative flow. Th