The Last Sunset in the West

Britain’s Vanishing West Coast Orcas (Fully Revised and Updated Edition)

by Natalie Sanders

Imprint: Birlinn

320 Pages, 5.1 x 7.8 in

Paperback
9781780278940
October 2024
Temporarily out of stock. Ships in 8-12 weeks.

$15.95

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9781788857215
September 2024

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Description
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Praise

"An important wake up call." -Rob Lott in Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Fully revised edition with updated information on the surviving members of the orca pod.

In 2014, marine biologist Dr Natalie Sanders joined the crew of the research vessel Silurian to seek out Britain’s West Coast Community of orca and study them before we lose them forever. Though this orca pod has delighted scientists and whale watchers for years, we still know relatively little about them, and what we do know comes mostly from citizen science and chance encounters. But what is abundantly clear is that pollution, entanglement, military sonar and climate change continue to have an enormous impact on whales and dolphins and other marine life throughout the world’s oceans.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the marine world in this age of climate change. A captivating yet poignant account, it takes the reader from the Western Isles of Scotland to Vancouver Island and elsewhere. It also delves deep into the history of our relations with these beautiful and sentient creatures to explain what their loss means and how we can avoid similar tragedies in the future.

Having completed her PhD in marine biology, Natalie Sanders now works as a marine consultant and has collaborated with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and charities in British Columbia, Canada. She lives in south-west England with her husband and two children.

"Natalie Sanders conveys both the magnificence and fragility of this remarkable creature." ~Vanessa Collingridge

"A wonderfully passionate account." ~Gordon Buchanan

"Thought-provoking and very timely." ~Mark Carwardine, author of "Whales and Dolphins: The Ultimate Guide to Marine Mammals"

"An important wake up call." ~Rob Lott, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Beautifully written and deeply moving, this captivating account of a pod of West Coast orcas leaves us in no doubt about the existential threats which these magnificent creatures face... This is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about this iconic species' ~Scottish Field

Deeply engaging, a lovely book that should be considered essential reading for anyone who cares about the planet we live on and those we share it with' ~Ken Lussey, Undiscovered Scotland