The Wonder of Whales by Melissa Hobson

In The Wonder of Whales, Melissa Hobson takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery into the lives of whales and the vital role they play in ocean ecosystems.

As well as celebrating these majestic giants, her mission is to inspire readers to want to protect them.

‘Close your eyes and think of a whale,’ she challenges us at the beginning of her book. I do, and instantaneously I am back on the ferry to Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf of Aotearoa. The crew have just alerted us to the fact that a Bryde’s whale has been spotted blowing in the distance. We watch as it dives down, is briefly hidden from sight before leaping out of the water again, a short distance away, a wondrous memory.

Who would have guessed that a whale’s closest living relative is a hippopotamus?! But evolutionary history has a way of defying expectations. Over millions of years, while the hippopotamus remained semi-aquatic, the whale’s ancestors adapted to life in the sea so that whales can now be found in every ocean on the planet.

We learn how whales come in all shapes, sizes, colours and patterns. The most humongous is the blue whale, which reaches an astounding maximum length of about 30 metres, making it the biggest animal alive today.

The meaning behind whale behaviour is covered, including why they breach, pec slap, sky hop and blow bubbles. And why whale song is an incredibly important part of their lives, allowing them to detect prey through echolocation and to use low-frequency sounds to communicate with each other.

And whereas some whales stay put, others embark on epic voyages, vast seasonal migrations between their feeding and breeding grounds.

There is still a great deal more to be discovered about these elusive colossal creatures. Many swim so far offshore and dive so deep that researchers can find it incredibly difficult to locate them. Fortunately, these days they no longer have to depend wholly on boat -based observation, as drones and satellite tags are available. AI is also used to help researchers speed up their data analysis.

Melissa finds the use of environmental DNA (or eDNA) an especially cool technique because if you know where a whale has been, there is no need to sight it. It simply involves collecting a sample of the water, which contains their dead skin, mucus, blood and poop. This can then be analysed.  

It is heartbreaking to read how huge numbers of whales were slaughtered, and several species were pushed to the edge of extinction during the commercial whaling era. It has been estimated that 3 million whales were killed between 1900 and 1990.

Thankfully, a global ban has largely put an end to the slaughter of these majestic animals, allowing many, but not all, whale populations to recover.

But whales still face many threats. Global warming and plastic pollution are taking their toll. And tens of thousands of them are struck by ships every year as they embark on epic voyages (vast seasonal migrations between their feeding and breeding grounds). Or they get tangled up in commercial fishing gear. Irresponsible tourism also harms whales.

‘But there are ways we can protect them from extinction and help them survive”

She lists the ways in which citizens around the world are voluntarily assisting in the whale conservation effort.

In Aotearoa, Project Jonah is an organisation whose vision is to create a world in which whales are respected and protected. They train volunteers to take part in whale rescue, action and protection programmes.    

This meticulously researched and richly illustrated book, so packed full of information about whales, is a compelling, inspirational read. It is bound to touch the hearts of readers and heighten their awareness of the need to protect these guardians of our oceans.

Reviewer: Lyn Potter

Wellfleet Press