Singing Whales and Flying Squid: The Discovery of Marine Life

by Richard Ellis

Book Overview

Two-thirds of this planet is covered by water inhabited by an incredible variety of living organisms, ranging in size from microbe to whale, and in abundance from scarce to uncountable. Whales and dolphins must surface to breathe, and some fishes occupy surface waters and can easily be seen from boats or shore, but most of the marine bio-profusion is hidden from human eyes, often under thousands of feet and millions of tons of water, which is usually...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592288421
• ISBN13: 9781592288427
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.7" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Fascinating Introduction to the Wonders of the Sea

Singing Whales and Flying Squid is, in some ways, more like two short books with some overlapping material. The first is a history of marine exploration, with emphasis on marine biology. The second is a survey of what we are still learning about how fragile and endangered marine life is. Both halves are good, but in a work of 288 pages, they leave the reader wanting more of both. Not that there's anything second-rate about what's in here. Ellis is a good writer, able to explain fairly technical concepts in friendly language, and very knowledgeable. His excellent drawings and paintings do a fine job of bringing his subjects to life. Even the reader well-versed in marine subjects will learn something: one eye-opener, for example is how the old stories of swordfish attacking whales turned out to be true, although the reasons for such pointless attacks is still a complete mystery. Ellis does not focus just on the charismatic animals: he gives the clearest explanation of the bottom of the ocean food web that I have read in a popular book. There is a lot in here on Ellis' favorite creatures, the giant squid and the cetaceans. (I hope Richard will do another new book entirely about what's recently been learned, and being learned, about whales and dolphins.) Ellis opts not to visit the subject of "sea serpents," which he has done in other books, and tosses off cryptozoology with a single (and misstated) aside. Overall, this is a very valuable book, something which will draw more people in to the splendor of the oceans while painlessly introducing the science. I think that is precisely Ellis' purpose, and he accomplishes it in exemplary fashion.

A fine journey through history and natural development

SINGING WHALES AND FLYING SQUID: THE DISCOVERY OF MARINE LIFE examines the history of the discovery of marine biology from the roots of science to modern times. What makes the study of marine life different is its puzzling interrelationships between species and environments. SINGING WHALES AND FLYING SQUID documents the search for marine knowledge, revealing in the process some of these puzzles past and present. A fine journey through history and natural development results. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

He's done it again!

Another great book by the master of entertaining books about Marine Biology. If you are a Richard Ellis fan, this is a "must buy". If you are interested in a great history of the mysteries and discoveries of what lies beneath the waves, it is also a "must buy". The book does slightly overlap with some other of this authors books. It has some very fresh information on the Giant Squid, and also that strange otherworldly life found deep in the depths.