Monika Wieland Shields

This book is about the southern resident orcas, a group of three orca pods that live in the Salish Sea off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. Although orcas worldwide are thriving, the orcas in the Salish Sea are on the brink of extinction, primarily because their primary source of food, Chinook salmon, have been overfished by humans and are also facing extinction. The book talks about the life cycle and culture of the southern residents, the history of our understanding of them, and the current research methods we're using to understand why their numbers are declining. Sheilds devotes a few chapters to current conservation efforts and the political and personal clashes between the different organizations who are trying to save the orcas: it's depressing but not surprising to learn that efforts to save them are stymied by human conflicts.

This book has a very narrow audience: it's only going to be of interest to people who are really into orcas, or to people who live on the coast of the Salish Sea. I'm one of the latter, and I think it's essential reading for those of us who live near these orcas and whose actions and decisions can affect their survival.… (meer)