Killer Whales: The Natural History and Genealogy of Orcinus Orca in British Columbia and Washington State

Victor Clulow is a zoology professor at Laurentian University.

This book is a worthy revision of the original by the late Michael Bigg,
a pioneer in the field of cetacean research. The authors, all
biologists, present the results of their more than 20 years of research
of one of the least accessible groups of animals—marine mammals.
Remembering that their life on the surface is but a fraction of their
day, it is remarkable that we have been able to glean anything at all
about the “home life” of the killer whale.

Through use of still photographs, patient cataloguing, and compiling of
records from several sources, biologists world-wide have pieced together
an increasingly clear picture of the natural history, organization, and
behaviors of whales and porpoises. Roughly half of the book consists of
generalia on the history of whales and their relationships with humans,
and descriptions of methods used in the current study. The balance is a
compendium of photographs of dorsal fins of individuals, along with an
interpretation of family and other relationships among the identified
animals, carried out by this research group.

Interspersed throughout the book are excellent illustrations, including
fine color plates evoking a feeling of mystery, community, and distance
about these animals, and informative sidebars with relevant information
on the history of human/whale relations, tips on how to make
observations, care-giving behavior of whales toward those who have been
wounded, and anecdotes and records of mariners. These leaven the mixture
and result in a volume that is pleasing to browse, read, and handle.

A glossary, a selected bibliography, and a list of other available
resources (including video and sound recordings) round out this fine
book.