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Books recommend by the Mad Dog Voyager crew
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 Book:
Killer Whales of Southern Alaska
About the book:
A "must have book" about Killer Whales (Orcas)
In 1899 the noted naturalist C. Hart Merriam was struck by
the dramatic presence of killer whales in southwestern
Prince William Sound. The dorsal fins of the males were
"standing like huge stumps above the water," he recounted
after his first close encounter. In 1976, just a few miles
from where Merriam filed his account, we made the
observations of killer whales that marked the beginning of
our long term study. With the guidance of the late Dr.
Michael Bigg, we based our work on the repeated
identification of individual whales. In this volume, we
present some of the results of this work, including a
catalogue of individual whales arranged in their extended
family groups.
The study has gone through many stages during its
development. From our initial observations made from kayaks
and bluff top observation posts, we developed equipment and
techniques to follow the whales and learn more about their
lives. Further impetus for study came in 1984 when Sea World
Inc. came to Alaska with a federal permit to collect killer
whales. Not only was public sentiment against: the capture,
but our work made it clear that the killer whales in
southern Alaska numbered in the hundreds, rather than the
thousands predicted.
In the mid-1980s a new conflict developed between killer
whales and humans in Prince William Sound and the Bering
Sea. In the Sound, whales from the AB pod of resident killer
whales began to interfere with longline fisheries for
halibut and black cod by stripping fish from the lines as
they were hauled from the ocean floor. Shooting of whales
became commonplace and known animals began to disappear. Our
photographic evidence hastened the enactment of legislation
that outlawed the shootings. Changes in fishery management
helped eliminate the conflict in the Sound although it
continues in the Bering Sea.
In 1989 AB pod and all other marine life in Prince William
Sound faced the devastating effects of the Exxon Valdez oil
spill. Our group, now the non-profit North Gulf Oceanic
Society, had baseline data on killer whales which allowed us
to assess changes following the spill and document the
losses of killer whales.
Since the spill, the long-term support of the Exxon Valdez
Oil Spill Trustee Council has facilitated our work.
Population assessments have continued and included studies
of the
whales'
genetics and toxic contaminant levels. Hundreds of hours of
recordings of killer whales have been analyzed to determine
the unique dialects of the major resident pods and transient
groups.
Recently we have begun working with the rapidly expanding
tour and charter boat industry to establish guidelines and
procedures for enjoying the whales with a minimum of
disturbance to the animals. With a cooperative effort, both
the whales and those who appreciate them will benefit.
Ultimately, the protection of habitat and food resources for
killer whales is the most critical factor. We hope this book
will speak for the needs of the whales as well as enhance
your enjoyment of these remarkable animals.
Author details:
Craig Matkin is a founding member and director of the
North Gulf Oceanic Society. He completed his M.S. in Zoology
in 1980 at the University of Alaska. Fairbanks. and has
worked with marine mammals for 25 years.
Graeme Ellis is a marine mammal technician at the
Pacific Biological Station, Department of Fisheries and
Oceans, Nanaimo, B.C. His work with killer whales spans 30
years.
Eva Saulitis is a writer, biologist. and teacher
having received both an M.S. in Zoology and an M.F.A. from
the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She has worked with the
Alaskan killer whales for 11 years.
Lance Barrett-Lennard is a doctoral candidate at the
University of British Columbia where he also received an
M.S. in Zoology. He has specialized in killer whale
acoustics and genetics.
Dena Matkin is a naturalist at Glacier Bay National
Park and Preserve. She has studied killer whales in
southeastern Alaska since 1987.
Proceeds from this book will
support ongoing killer whale research in Alaska
Killer Whales of South Alaska received a “Highly
Recommended…” from The Mad Dogs!
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Alaska, USA" page
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