BOOKS
All
books listed below can be ordered from Amazon.com by clicking on the
title or cover of the book. 
BOOKS:
Inspirational Fiction
 I
Wonder If I'll See a Whale, Frances Ward Weller, Illustrations
by Ted Lewin. PaperStar, 1991
A
delightful children's book with beautiful illustrations about a
young girl's poignant first whale watch experience. Excerpt: " 'Ohhhhh.
There's a whale,' I whisper to myself. And then there is a hush.
I look at Trunk, and he at me. It's not a game. It's more like church.
He seems to know I've come in peace."
 Sounding,
Hank Searls. WestSouthwest Corporation, 1982
A
remarkable novel written from the perspective of both whales and humans.
Excerpt: "For there was a prophecy, believed by almost all sperm, and
the massive, gentle blue whales, too, and certainly by every dolphin
in the sea. The prophecy was that someday man, most promising of the
mammals Cetecea had left ashore, would evolve enough to understand
cetacean beings."
 Whalesinger,
Welsyn Wilton Katz. Macmillan, 1990
Set
in Point Reyes National Seashore, California, this novel is a coming-of-age
story of a teenage girl Marta, and the profound experiences of her relationship
and communication with a mother gray whale. From this relationship, she
leans a great deal about herself and life.
 Whalesong
— A Novel about the Greatest and Deepest of Beings, Robert Siegel.
Harper Collins, 1981
Written
entirely from the perspective of the humpback whale, this is a fable of
Hruna and his journey into love, mystery, and spiritual awakening in the
waters of the world. The book serves beautifully both as a journey into
the world of whales and as an allegory of our own spiritual quests.
 White
Whale — A Companion Volume to the Novel About the Greatest and
Deepest of Beings, Harper Collins, 1991
The
sequel to Whalesong, this is the enchanting story of Hralekana, a magnificent
great white whale, in a fast-paced tale of adventure, intrigue, and spiritual
discovery set in the oceans of the world. Excerpt: "Wherever on the water
the winds shall find you, wherever the moon or the sun shall move, deep
in my heart I will breathe deeply with you."
A
Garden of Whales, Maggie Steincrohn Davis. Camden House Publishing,
199_
A
book of wonder, hope, and the love of a young boy for the world's whales,
his work to help them, and their profound connection. Magnificent color
illustrations.
The
Whale's Song, Dyan Sheldon. Dial Books for Young Readers,
1991
A
Touching story of Lilly, whose grandmother tells her the story of the
whales she loved as a child. How she waited by the ocean, with a special
gift for the whales, and how they finally came to her, with a special
gift of their own. Lilly longs to see the whales herself and to hear their
mysterious songs. The whales fill her dreams. She believes they will come;
they do, and she hears them call her name. Stunning illustrations. Note:
This book was the inspiration for including the ritual of gift giving
to the whales during our Journey to Love with the Humpback Whales trips.
 Whale,
Judy Allen. Walker Books Ltd., 1992
A
moving story of a near tragedy for two humpback whales during the Valdez
oil spill. It seems only a miracle can save them. . . and it does. Enchanting
and full of hope and the power or prayer. Note: Teresa found this book
at the Valdez Museum when she traveled to Valdez, Alaska on a pilgrimage
to honor the animals who died in the oil spill.
Amazon
review:
The whale speaks only to Glashka. This is both a gift and a responsibility.
When Glashka discovers thousands of whales trapped in an inlet, she finds
strength from her gift and derives courage from her responsibility, bringing
her people together to rescue the whales.
Humphrey,
the Lost Whale: A True Story, Wendy Tokuda.
Describes
how a migrating humpback whale mistakenly entered the San Francisco Bay
in 1985 and swam sixty-four miles inland before being led back to sea
by people concerned for this welfare.
Amazon
review: Nollman doesn't know why his encounters with whales and dolphins
move him so, why they are such profound experiences. Yet he senses that
therein lurks some elemental nuggets that cold change us...
A
powerful story of a human boy who feels more of the seal world than
of the human world. Eventually he chooses to live with the seals, yet
continues to honor and give gifts to his human parents. A very important
story to "normalize" feelings of belonging more to the animal world
than to the human world.
Seal
Child, Sylvia Peck. Bantam Skylark, 1991
The
story of a young girl's love of the sea, seals, her dog, and a new best
friend. A story of loss, grief, and transformation. A must read for all
lovers of the ocean and marine mammals.
|
BOOKS:
Whale Photography
Stunning
photographs of humpbacks both under and above water, mostly from Hawaii.
Clear,
detailed, very close photos of humpbacks both under and above water,
in every imaginable "pose:" lunge feeding, baleen, fluke shots, breaching,
aerial shots of feeding, bubble nets, and swimming, and underwater
shots of adults, calves and groups from many angles. The beginning
of his book includes his journal of experiences photographing whales,
followed by many pages of actual photographs, ending with the quote:
Let beauty abide. Leave the Divine in peace.
Spectacular
photos of humpbacks in same categories as above.
|
BOOKS:
Humpback Whale Natural History
 Among
Whales, Roger Payne. Scribner, 1995
Considered
the world's leading expert on whales, he is well known for discovering
that humpback whale vocalizations can be classified as songs. Excerpts: "It
is this sense of tranquillity, of life without urgency, power without
aggression, that has won my heart to whales. . .whales offer to human
beings a lesson. They demonstrate to us that our ancient and ignorant
belief in the inherent supremacy of our species over all others is utterly
wrong."
Humpback
Whales, Phil Clapham. Voyageur Press, Inc. 1996
Comprehensive
overview of humpback whales in layperson friendly terms and format. Also
includes excellent photographs. Clapham is a Research Associate at the
Smithsonian Institution.
Amazon
synopsis: In a rare blend of scientific fact and poetic truth the acclaimed
author of A Natural History of the Senses explores the activities
of whales, penguins, bats, and crocodilians, plunging headlong into nature
and coming up with highly entertaining treasures.
For
ages 9 - 12. Amazon synopsis: A baby humpback whale is born in the waters
of Hawaii. She nurses frequently and quickly gains the layers of blubber
she needs to protect her later in the cold arctic waters. This account
of the life history of humpback whales details the whales' migration to
Arctic water in summer, their food and hunting techniques, and their enemies.
It brings the reader the beauty of the humpbacks' lives and reveals their
important place in the animal world.
American
Cetacean Society review: Fascinating pages of the kinds of encounters
with cetaceans that you dream of, or might have had. Nonfiction.
|
DVD's and VIDEOS:
 Humpback
Whales! Lookout Below!, produced by CC Video Production. 173 Minutemen
Causeway, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 407-783-9019
Highly
recommended! This was filmed in the Silver Banks and will give you the
best possible picture of what to expect on the trip. It's also inspirational
and uplifting in general and a poignant reminder for former trip participants
of our experience. Includes surface and underwater footage and accompanied
by music. $19.95
The Whale Video Company offers
an entire series of 14 videos of North Atlantic Humpbacks — all
worth seeing and highly recommended! Though
we've described only two below, we recommend contacting them to receive
information about each video. They all include superb surface footage
of whales in the Gulf of Maine. Contact at: PO Box 1052, Mechanicburg,
PA 17055 717-763-9507 www.whalevideo.com
 Beyond
Belief: The Humpback Whale
Highly
recommended. Filmed from the Dolphin Fleet whale watch boat off Provincetown,
Cape Cod, this tape is made from over 800 whale watch trips. You will
see great surface footage of breaches, tail lobbing, spy hopping, flipper
slapping and whales just floating near the boat. Whales filmed are North
Atlantic Humpbacks, the same group we see in the winter in Silver Banks.
Salt
& Friends
This
video introduces the viewer to twelve different humpback whales. The grand
dame of all whales has to be Salt, the first humpback whale given a name.
You'll see and hear why she and others were given their names. You'll
be entertained and educated by their different personalities, their differences
in feeding styles and their curiosities about people, even bringing their
calves up to and under the boats!
|
ORGANIZATIONS
THAT HELP WHALES:
They are a pioneering
whale research, rescue and educational organization, located in Provincetown,
MA (Cape Cod). Their staff provide natural history information on board
the famous Dolphin Fleet whale watch boats off Provincetown, which make
these boats the best boats to see whales and learn accurate, detailed
information. Visit their web site for more information on their extensive
work to help whales and the coastal environment. If you are going to join
and financially support any organization helping whales, this is the most
highly recommended group. Membership includes a very informative newsletter.
Ocean
Alliance www.oceanalliance.org
The organization founded by Roger Payne, the pioneer of whale research.
ACS
is the oldest whale conversation group in the world. Founded in 1967,
it is a non-profit, volunteer membership organization with regional U.S.
chapters and members in 41 countries. Visit their web site for fact sheets
on whales, action alerts, how to get their journal, Whalewatcher, and
much more.
|
WHALE
RELATED GIFTS AND PHOTOS:
Whale Adoption
Project of the International Wildlife Coalition www.webcom.com/iwcwww
You
can "adopt" a whale through them (you receive photos and information
about a specific humpback individual and they receive your money to help
in their educational programs), and buy beautiful tees, sweats, books,
videos, jewelry, mousepads and other whale gifts. Visit their website
or call 800-548-8704 for a color catalog.
  Click
for more detail
Whale Meditation
Stones, Contact Barbara Garrett Conrad, 6 Briarcliff Lane, Centerville,
MA 02632
508-790-7884 bgconrad@capecod.net
Crafted
by a Cape Cod female artist, stones are gathered from local beaches and
various "poses" of humpbacks are painted on them. What makes them so special
is not just their beauty, but the spiritual, loving energy of the artist
which is imprinted in each stone. Also, the stones are collected on beaches
from the very waters through which the North Atlantic Humpback travels.
What a wonderful and unique way — visual and tactile — to stay
connected with the energy of the whales.
Whales & Friends
Gifts of Nature Catalog
800-234-1022
www.whalesdirect.com
Visit
their site to find humpback (and other whale and animals) sculpture, shirts,
jewelry, jackets, lamps, and other items. Great selection. Call for color
catalog.
Photos of humpbacks
in Silver Banks, by Kaz Zirkle
www.naturalextremes.com
Our
thanks to Kaz for the wonderful photos she provided for use in this website,
particularly those in the Gallery.
This
website also includes other humpback gift items.
If visiting Provincetown,
there are two must see shops:
The
Right Whale on Commercial Street where
you will find everything from socks to earrings to videos to great shirts
with humpback whales. A great shop!
The Center for Coastal Studies gift shop on MacMillan Wharf. It's
a humpback lover's haven of clothing, videos, books, model whales, prints,
cards and other memorabilia.
|
A
Symphony of Whales
The
Boy Who Lived With the Seals
Gentle
Giant, At Sea with the Humpback Whale
Mitsuaki
Iwago's Whales
Birth
of a Humpback Whale
Whale
Tales: Human Interactions With Whales
