Troubled Waters

There's a lot of controversy at the moment concerning whaling - some countries consider whale populations are sufficient to resume full scale hunting, while others believe the ban on whaling should be extended. In Troubled Waters Sarah Lazarus examines how the relationship between humans and whales (and other cetaceans such as dolphins) has developed over time. She looks at how human activity brought many species to the brink of extinction, at how attitudes have changed, and at the many problems which still remain. If you want to find out about what we are doing to these intelligent creatures then you will find this book of great interest.

The first chapter looks at the evolution of cetaceans, but the majority of the book concerns the interactions between humans and cetaceans rather than their biology. The book looks at the history of whaling, from early days when killing a single whale could provide many resources for a community , to the modern whaling ships with onboard processing plants. Later chapters look at other ways in which humans affect the lives of cetaceans, such as various forms of pollution, as well as keeping them in captivity. The final chapter describes the author's hopes for the future - that cetaceans will receive much greater protection from the activities of humans.