Books

A delightful children's book written and illustrated by Pacific Northwest artist, Sue Coccia.  She weaves her beloved Animal Spirits illustrations a compelling story of connection. 

This book, written for pre-teens and adolescents, portrays the youths and careers of six remarkable women whose curiosity about nature fueled a passion to steadfastly overcome obstacles to careers in traditionally men-only occupations.

This endearing tale celebrates the life of Granny, the 100 year old matriarch of the Southern Resident Killer Whale population.  She leads her clan in hunting, teaching young whales, and establishing a connection with humans.

Pacific Northwest Islander, Rebecca Pillsbury, pulls together stories from people across the scope of career paths whose lives have been changed by seeing a whale and the actions those experiences have inspired.

LAGOON TIME, a Guide to the Gray Whales and Natural History of San Ignacio Lagoon - Written By Steven Swartz, published by the Ocean Foundation, Lagoon Time is the first complete field guide to the gray whales and natural history of the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico. It includes the history of the lagoon, gray whale behavior, and descriptions of the diverse botanical and avian wildlife of the area. Lagoon Time is a popular, first-hand account of the experiences and discoveries made by Mary Lou Jones, Steven Swartz and their colleagues during their initial study of gray whales wintering in Laguna San Ignacio between 1977 and 1982. Their initial studies were the first systematic research on gray whales that utilize the lagoon as a winter aggregation and breeding area, and contributed to the establishment by the Mexican government of a unique marine reserve for gray whales and other marine wildlife.

Based on true events, "Lolita Loves the Ocean: The Story of a Wild Orca", offers both children and adults a vivid insightful account of the life of Lolita or Toki, the second oldest captive orca in the world, surviving in the U.S at Miami Seaquarium, Florida. Wildlife researcher Gina Sequeira embarks readers on an intimate journey of the ways of wild orcas, and onto Lolita's mental and physical struggle as a prisoner. Accompanied by dynamic illustrations from former San Francisco Academy of Art instructor Christopher Newhard and Sequeira, Lolita's story may be told transparently without words.  This 2018 edition also includes updates on the Souther Resident Killer Whale Population as well as current advocacy work.  Most of the proceeds from this book benefit the Orca Network!

Amazon review: “An action-packed environmental thriller” --Kirkus Reviews “A swift-moving story of adventure and redemption” --Wayne Ude, Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Ben Singleton and his wife, Frances, operate OrcaSpeak, a Pacific Northwest orca protection organization. A ferry crash occurs at a local dock when a peaceful protest against fossil fuels organized by eco-activist Donal Hopkins is sabotaged by a violent teammate.

The era of orca captures from 1964 to 1976 did great harm to Southern Resident orcas in many ways, some documented in the language of their ESA listing as an endangered population. The experiences the whales went through would be harder to document, but it must have been devastating for them. The responses of the whales to the captures is part of the story told in Puget Sound Whales for Sale. Human dramas and personal stories from those who were involved in the captures from all angles is woven in the history as well, and the most reliable and well-researched facts can be found here too. Author and certified marine naturalist Sandra Pollard traces the story and destinies of the many Southern Resident orcas captured for public display worldwide between 1964 and 1976. During this time, the endangered Southern Resident orcas lost nearly one-third of their population. Drawing on a wide range of interviews and archival material, this important volume recounts the people whose determined efforts ultimately succeeded in ending the captures.

A captivating young adult fiction set in our local Washington waters about renewing connections to humanity and the killer whale.

Written by local author and ocean conservationist, Casson Trenor, and illustrated by pop surrealist Caia Koopman, Umijoo is bound to resonate with all ages. This is the tale of a curious girl who, with the help of a little magic, journeys underwater to learn about the dangers facing our ocean directly from the creatures that call it home. A story of love, responsibility, and balance, Umijoo aims to educate and inspire a new generation of ocean defenders.

"As “War of the Whales,” by Joshua Horwitz, makes convincingly clear, the connection between naval sonar and deadly mass strandings of whales is scientifically undeniable. Whales of all kinds — but especially the remarkable and deep-diving beaked whales — regularly wash up dead or dying following naval sonar use around the world...But as the “War of the Whales” lays out in a strong and valuable narrative, the stakes are quite high. The question, after all, made its way from the shores of the Bahamas, Greece, England and Madeira to the U.S. Supreme Court." -Washington Post