Troubled Waters : The Changing Fortunes of Whales and Dolphins

Whales and dolphins are enduringly popular animals, yet man’s relationship with them over the years has been as exploitative as it is appreciative. The story begins over 1000 years ago when hunters first took up harpoons and went to sea in search of the rich rewards of meat, oil and whalebone.Troubled Waters charts a course through the whaling boom of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the tragic implications of commercial fishing and noise pollution, the controversial keeping of dolphins in captivity, and the current row over Japanese whaling. Discover the natural history of these fascinating animals in the context of the social, cultural and political developments that have shaped their lives during the unlikely transition from whale-hunting to whale-watching. Dispelling common misconceptions – are dolphins really supernaturally intelligent? Are the great whales in danger of extinction? – and opening up current arguments, this gripping investigation explains just why whales and dolphins became one of the major harvests of the sea, and how humans are destined to affect their future.