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Weaving two decades of San Ignacio adventures with the history of the lagoon, Dorsey vividly captures the lively people of Baja, like the mystical godfather of whale-watching, Pachico Mayoral, as well as the whales he's bonded with over the years, like Slackjaw, Patch, and Dervish. Looming over his journeys are the many dangers to the area, from the Mitsubishi Corporation's attempts to build salt works to plans for resort development on the Baja coast, to pollution and climate change, and even to the orcas who hunt the gray whales.
A tale of wondrous bonds between the intelligent, spirited gray whales and the people from around the world who come to this place to touch, kiss, and play with them—The Lagoon is a testament to the importance of preserving these animals and their natural habitats.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 23, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781696611961
- File size: 187204 KB
- Duration: 06:30:00
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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April 24, 2023
In this solid outing, naturalist Dorsey (Baboons for Lunch) reflects on studying the Pacific gray whales of San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico, over the past 20 years. Drawing on his time working at a whale nursery and leading whale-watching tours, the author expounds on the behavior of gray whales and explains that every December they swim from Alaska to San Ignacio to give birth and look after newborn calves as they build up enough blubber to withstand the frigid northern waters. He suggests that the lagoon is one of “the only places on Earth where wild animals in their natural habitat routinely seek human contact,” and he recounts when a large female whale balanced his skiff on her stomach, held it in place with her fins, and “played with us like a giant bathtub toy.” Most affecting is his condemnation of keeping whales in captivity, telling the story of a baby gray whale confined to a SeaWorld enclosure where she “barely had room to move.” Dorsey’s frequent references to the whale-watching company he worked for distract (“Baja Ecotours receives the most clients of any camp in the lagoon”), but the surprising stories testify to the marine mammals’ overlooked emotional complexity. The result is a revealing look at the awe-inspiring creatures.
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