North Atlantic Right Whales: From Hunted Leviathan to Conservation Icon
David W. Laist, "North Atlantic Right Whales: From Hunted Leviathan to Conservation Icon"
English | ISBN: 1421420988 | 2017 | 464 pages | PDF | 43 MB
English | ISBN: 1421420988 | 2017 | 464 pages | PDF | 43 MB
The fascinating story of North Atlantic right whales―from their evolutionary origin, through a thousand-year history of relentless pursuit by whalers, to ongoing efforts to rescue them from the brink of extinction.
In the cold waters of the unforgiving North Atlantic Ocean, some of the heartiest humans of medieval days ventured out in search of whales. Through the centuries, people on both sides of the Atlantic became increasingly dependent on whale oil and other cetacean products. To meet this growing demand, whaling became ever more sophisticated and intense, leading to the collapse of what was once a seemingly inexhaustible supply of large cetaceans. Central to the whale's subsequent struggle for existence has been one species―the North Atlantic right whale. Conservationist David W. Laist now provides the first complete history of the North Atlantic right whale, from its earliest encounters with humans to its close brush with extinction, to its currently precarious yet hopeful status as a conservation icon.
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