Voices in the Ocean : A Journey Into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins

From Susan Casey, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wave and The Devil's Teeth , a breathtaking journey through the extraordinary world of dolphins Since the dawn of recorded history, humans have felt a kinship with the sleek and beautiful dolphin, an animal whose playfulness, sociability, and intelligence seem like an aquatic mirror of mankind. In recent decades, we have learned that dolphins recognize themselves in reflections, count, grieve, adorn themselves, feel despondent, rescue one another (and humans), deduce, infer, seduce, form cliques, throw tantrums, and call themselves by name. Scientists still don't completely understand their incredibly sophisticated navigation and communication abilities, or their immensely complicated brains. While swimming off the coast of Maui, Susan Casey was surrounded by a pod of spinner dolphins. It was a profoundly transporting experience, and it inspired her to embark on a two-year global adventure to explore the nature of these remarkable beings and their complex relationship to humanity. Casey examines the career of the controversial John Lilly, the pioneer of modern dolphin studies whose work eventually led him down some very strange paths. She visits a community in Hawaii whose adherents believe dolphins are the key to spiritual enlightenment, travels to Ireland, where a dolphin named as "the world's most loyal animal" has delighted tourists and locals for decades with his friendly antics, and consults with the world's leading marine researchers, whose sense of wonder inspired by the dolphins they study increases the more they discover. Yet there is a dark side to our relationship with dolphins. They are the stars of a global multibillion-dollar captivity industry, whose money has fueled a sinister and lucrative trade in which dolphins are captured violently, then shipped and kept in brutal conditions. Casey's investigation into this cruel underground takes her to the harrowing epicenter of the trade in the Solomon Islands, and to the Japanese town of Taiji, made famous by the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, where she chronicles the annual slaughter and sale of dolphins in its narrow bay. Casey ends her narrative on the island of Crete, where millennia-old frescoes and artwork document the great Minoan civilization, a culture which lived in harmony with dolphins, and whose example shows the way to a more enlightened coexistence with the natural world. No writer is better positioned to portray these magical creatures than Susan Casey, whose combination of personal reporting, intense scientific research, and evocative prose made The Wave and The Devil's Teeth contemporary classics of writing about the sea. In Voices in the Ocean, she has written a thrilling book about the other intelligent life on the planet. From the Hardcover edition While Swimming Off The Coast Of Maui, Susan Casey Was Surrounded By A Pod Of Spinner Dolphins. It Was A Profoundly Transporting Experience, And It Inspired Her To Embark On A Two-year Global Adventure To Explore The Nature Of These Remarkable Beings And Their Complex Relationship To Humanity. Casey Examines The Career Of The Controversial John Lilly, The Pioneer Of Modern Dolphin Studies Whose Work Eventually Led Him Down Some Very Strange Paths. She Visits A Community In Hawaii Whose Adherents Believe Dolphins Are The Key To Spiritual Enlightenment, Travels To Ireland, Where A Dolphin Named As The World's Most Loyal Animal Has Delighted Tourists And Locals For Decades With His Friendly Antics, And Consults With The World's Leading Marine Researchers, Whose Sense Of Wonder Inspired By The Dolphins They Study Increases The More They Discover. Yet There Is A Dark Side To Our Relationship With Dolphins. They Are The Stars Of A Global Multibillion-dollar Captivity Industry, Whose Money Has Fueled A Sinister And Lucrative Trade In Which Dolphins Are Captured Violently, Then Shipped And Kept In Brutal Conditions. Casey's Investigation Into This Cruel Underground Takes Her To The Harrowing Epicenter Of The Trade In The Solomon Islands, And To The Japanese Town Of Taiji, Made Famous By The Oscar-winning Documentary The Cove, Where She Chronicles The Annual Slaughter And Sale Of Dolphins In Its Narrow Bay. Casey Ends Her Narrative On The Island Of Crete, Where Millennia-old Frescoes And Artwork Document The Great Minoan Civilization, A Culture Which Lived In Harmony With Dolphins, And Whose Example Shows The Way To A More Enlightened Coexistence With The Natural World -- Prologue: Honolua -- The Meaning Of Water -- Babies In The Universe -- Clappy, Clappy! -- The Friendlies -- Welcome To Taiji -- A Sense Of Self -- High Frequency -- The World's End -- Greetings From Hawaii : We're Having A Blast! -- Change Of Heart -- Thera. Susan Casey. Includes Bibliographical References, Through dolphins, we can see the best and worst of mankind. On average, seventy four dolphins wash up on the Gulf of Mexico's north shore every year. In the first half of 2012, there were eight hundred and ninety-one of them, with stillborn baby dolphins washing up at ten times the average yearly rate. The cause? BP's disastrous oil spill in 2010. For decades mankind's actions have led to the deaths of thousands of these beautiful creatures and this continues now, at a time when we know more about them than we ever have before. We know about their intelligence, abilities, and their culture. We know how similar to us they really are. In her most provocative book yet, Susan Casey takes us into an underwater world that is similar to our own in ways no other animal's world is. We're at a crossroads now where we could end up destroying these beautiful creatures, and our relationship with nature has become so dysfunctional that it jeopardises our own existence. By combining her own personal narrative with her in-depth scientific research, Casey delivers a narrative which is both compassionate and thrilling. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Inspired by a profound experience swimming with wild dolphins off the coast of Maui, the bestselling author of The Wave set out on a quest to learn everything she could about dolphins—the other intelligent life on the planet. “Part science, part memoir, part impassioned plea for change.” —People Susan Casey’s journey takes her from a community in Hawaii known as “Dolphinville,” where the animals are seen as the key to spiritual enlightenment, to the dark side of the human-cetacean relationship at marine parks and dolphin-hunting grounds in Japan and the Solomon Islands, to the island of Crete, where the Minoan civilization lived in harmony with dolphins, providing a millennia-old example of a more enlightened coexistence with the natural world. Along the way, Casey recounts the history of dolphin research and introduces us to the leading marine scientists and activists who have made it their life’s work to increase humans’ understanding and appreciation of the wonder of dolphins. A portrait of the world of dolphins explores their conflicted history with humans, sharing scientific insights into their intelligence while discussing how they have been used as theme-park attractions, military tools, and sporting targets