I’m climbing up to a moss and lichen bluff near the cabin. A flake-barked old fir and battle-scarred arbutus cling to the shattered rock which constitutes the geology of this cliff on the ridge above our bay. During these dark November days this is the only place I can be sure of catching some sun – only in the middle of the day – if there is any sun – which there hasn’t been.

After the thrills of October it’s not going to be much of a month for whale watching. I’m off to Ontario for a few weeks leaving Terry to hold the home front and video the jellyfish invasion of our bay.

It’s a month for whale research though. I’m reading a lot about cetacean communication. There’s a wealth of information from biologists, naturalists, writers –  basically cetacean lovers of all ages and backgrounds. There are books for children too.

I thought it might be useful to list some books with links to the websites of their authors.

In no particular order:

Dolphin Diaries by Denise Hertzing: She wanted to be the “Jane Goodall” of the dolphin world and she is. Diane has been studying the Spotted Dolphins in one shallow bay in the Bahamas. the book chronicles the first 25 years of her work. Lots of information about communication and dolphin society. http://wilddolphinproject.org/

Among Whales by Roger Payne: Inspiring and devastating. The idyllic life of a family living alongside magnificent right whales and the sadistic blood lust of whalers mad with greed. An eye opening expose of the International Whaling Commission. http://www.whale.org/

The Moon by Whalelight by Diane Ackerman: poetic writing informed by Roger Payne’s (‘Among Whales’) research into Humpback whale songs, behaviour and emotions. http://www.dianeackerman.com/

Dolphin Dreamtime, The Art and Science of Interspecies Communication by Jim Nollman: Back in the 1960s, before it became trendy, Jim Nollman was playing music with whales, wolves, wild turkeys and buffalo exploring their cultures and communications. Check out his articles in back issues of Orion magazine.

http://www.interspecies.com/pages/audio%20main%20page.html

Among Giants: A Life with Whales by Charles “Flip” Nicklin: “Flip is equal parts photographer, adventurer, self-trained scientist, and raconteur, and Among Giants reflects all those sides, matching breathtaking images to firsthand accounts of their making, and highlighting throughout the importance of conservation and new advances in our understanding of whale behavior.”   from ‘Whale Trust’   http://www.whaletrust.org/

Hawaii’s Humpbacks: Unveiling the Mysteries by Jim Darling (author), Susan W. Barnes (illustrator) and Flip Nicklin (photographer) “ideal for both novice and experienced whale watchers – answers all of your questions and tells you exactly what researchers know and have yet to learn about the humpbacks that gather annually on the Hawaiian breeding grounds.” from ‘Whale Trust’

Mind in the waters: A book to celebrate the consciousness of whales and dolphins by Joana McIntyre Varawa: fascinating comparison of human motor controls, which are in varied areas of our brains, with cetacean motor controls, which overlap  and apparently cross-stimulate in their brains. We can only imagine how whales and dolphins perceive the world! A collection of science and intuition which appeals to the imagination and heart as well as the scientific mind.

The Delicate Art of Whale Watching: by Joana McIntyre Varawa: “swimming with porpoises, fishing, learning to hunt with bow and arrow; a quiet quest for harmony with nature, especially with the sea”

Eye of the Whale: there are at least 5 more books with this title. Obviously looking into the eye of a whale does something profound to a human being.

So does reading about it. Try it.