The Lost Whale: The True Story Of An Orca Named Luna Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The heartbreaking and true story of a lonely orca named Luna who befriended humans in Nootka Sound, off the coast of Vancouver Island by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm.One summer in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, a young killer whale called Luna got separated from his pod. Like humans, orcas are highly social and depend on their families, but Luna found himself desperately alone. So he tried to make contact with people. He begged for attention at boats and docks. He looked soulfully into people's eyes. He wanted to have his tongue rubbed. When someone whistled at him, he squeaked and whistled back. People fell in love with him, but the government decided that being friendly with Luna was bad for him, and tried to keep him away from humans. Policemen arrested people for rubbing Luna's nose. Fines were levied. Undaunted, Luna refused to give up his search for connection and people went out to meet him, like smugglers carrying friendship through the dark. But does friendship work between species? People who loved Luna couldn't agree on how to help him. Conflict came to Nootka Sound. The government built a huge net. The First Nations' members brought out their canoes. Nothing went as planned, and the ensuing events caught everyone by surprise and challenged the very nature of that special and mysterious bond we humans call friendship. The Lost Whale celebrates the life of a smart, friendly, determined, transcendent being from the sea who appeared among us like a promise out of the blue: that the greatest secrets in life are still to be discovered.
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (June 25, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312353642
ISBN-13: 978-0312353643
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #434,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #202 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Marine Life #390 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Mammals #608 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas
The "Lost Whale" is a "must read" for anyone interested in Orca whales and their interaction with humans...and governments. The excellent films "Saving Luna" and "The Whale", both made by the same authors as this book. are about the same heartbreaking episode of the young Orca separated from his family, and how well meaning but contradictory government efforts prevented his being reunited with his family. The book the authors have written about the episode is actually much better than the the films at humanizing all the players involved and offering a full view of the efforts involved. Buy the films for the beauty of the location and images of the human-orca interaction that took place. Read the book to get the fuller story of the events!
I don't want to give anything away in this "review". Most times I read a review someone writes on and buy the end of it there is no need to actually read the book. I don't want to go into details about this book because if you're on this page and some how found this book, you need to read it. It's a very well told (to the point that it could be completely made up, except it's not) story about life, and how we treat not only each other but other species we live with. This is from the Editorial Reviews I saw here on a sort of behind the scene's book on the Film - The Whale which is narrated by Ryan Reynolds. I did not however see the movie before I read this and it didn't take away from the book at all. They basically give you a run down of the story in the first few pages so you know what's going on and then it goes from there. I plan to rent the movie and see how much the book adds to it, I'm sure like any book/movie there is a lot left out from the movie which adds to the book and gives you more information. I believe it's a good thing that Orca's are becoming more in the public eye, for too long we've kept them in tanks, not really questioning it. Thanks to book's like this one and Death at Sea World by David Kirby, the film this book comes from, The Whale and the soon to be released Blackfish, the story of these animals and how amazing they truly are is starting to get out.
Highly recommended. This book has at its heart the story of Luna, the young Orca who made headlines around the world when he appeared - as alone as a lost child - in the waters of a remote village on the west coast of Canada's Vancouver Island. A solitary Orca is not merely a rarity, it is unheard of. People long for a glimpse of a whale, this whale seemed to long for contact with humans. It seemed that everyone had an opinion about what to do about Luna. The First Nations saw in him a reflection of their ancestral mythology, the Canadian government saw a problem that needed to be solved, members of the community saw either a nuisance or a joy. The authors of this book saw all these opinions and responses, and then found the larger picture, the greater story, the one that touches all of us. Even though I knew the story (and how it ended) I found this meticulously crafted account impossible to put down. Beautifully written, never stooping to sentiment, all points of view are presented with respect and understanding. The authors had previously released two versions of their documentary film, the first called "Saving Luna" and the second, narrated by Ryan Reynolds, called "The Whale." Both are exceptional (I've never seen more stunning photography of the Pacific Northwest), yet the book adds a dimension not present in the films; brief glimpses into the lives of the authors during the saga provide a personal and moving counterpoint to the story of Luna.
I have written two books about a bottle-nose dolphin that also was for some reason abandonded and taken up with human companionship. His name is JoJo he is the dolphin that many people have swum with around the Tuks and Caicos Islands. I believe human companionship was a huge factor in his growing up without a mother. I'm very lucky that he has chosen me as his friend. I haven't finished Luna but so far the humans are providing much needed friendship and entertainment.Jay Sargent author of JoJo and Me and JoJo and Me II
You'll love getting to know Luna. The Lost Whale tells about Luna's unlikely life, alone with only his own seeking intelligence, hungry for companionship in remote reaches of Nootka Sound BC. Mike Parfit and Suzanne Chisolm tell his story in many ways - as journalists , so we're always in touch with the strange thread of events, and as a personal, emotional tale of deep involvement in Luna's life. As observers and participants, the authors tell how Luna stirred up an almost constant sense of wonder and reflection. Through it all, each page adds a brush stroke to a portrait of a very young whale, a member of the most social mammal known to science, lost and alone, on his own in a vast natural paradise, needing only to play and find company and share long, loving looks with humans, who were prohibited by law from looking back. -Howard Garrett, Orca Network
Ever wonder what makes another species look at us in a way the almost seems they understand us? This story has a whale that does just that. We my never know why he took to people over other whales but he did. This may be a spoiler but if you read the newspaper accounts you may already know, he ended up being killed by a boat collision, whether this would have happened had he not tried to seek out people and became accustom to boats who knows. Over all the book is good if not rather sad.
The Lost Whale: The True Story of an Orca Named Luna Orca: Visions of the Killer Whale The Lost Tribe of Coney Island: Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century A Boy Named Beckoning: The True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship A Mermaid Tales Sparkling Collection: Trouble at Trident Academy; Battle of the Best Friends; A Whale of a Tale; Danger in the Deep Blue Sea; The Lost Princess The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods A Man Named Dave: A Story of Triumph and Forgiveness What's the Buzz?: Keeping Bees in Flight (Orca Footprints) Killer Whales: The Natural History and Genealogy of Orcinus Orca in British Columbia and Washington State Attitude (Orca Limelights) Dog Walker (Orca Currents) Learning to Fly (Orca Soundings) Tell (Orca Soundings) Blue Moon (Orca Soundings) Cracked (Orca Currents) Diwali: Festival of Lights (Orca Origins) Seconds (Orca Young Readers) The Queen of Whale Cay: The Eccentric Story of "Joe" Carstairs, Fastest Woman on Water Moon Rope/Un lazo a la luna
