How Orca Whales Went from Hated, to Adored, to Endangered
Our love affair with Orcas may have come too late, as declining fish stocks, marine pollution, and other forces push some of them ever closer to extinction.
SIMON WORRALL: ‘It was not so long ago that “killer” whales were reviled as vicious pests, shot, harpooned, and even machine-gunned by whalers, fishermen, and government agencies. Today, the world has come to appreciate these sleek creatures not only as apex predators but also for their complex societies and their ability to feel grief.
But as Jason Colby explains in his new book, Orca, our love affair with killer whales may have come too late, as declining fish stocks, marine pollution, and other forces push some of them ever closer to extinction.
When National Geographic caught up with Colby in Hawaii, he explained how orcas display complex social behavior and even grief, why a controversial new pipeline in Canada threatens their survival, and how writing this book was also a redemptive personal journey’. SOURCE…
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