Orcas Everywhere: The Mystery and History of Killer Whales

It is fitting for the new “Orca Wild” series to begin with a book about its namesake animal and created by a highly qualified writer with a passion for the iconic black and white whales. Orcas Everywhere is a detailed account of how we gained knowledge about these ‘killer whales’ over the almost six decades that they’ve been in captivity. While tracing orcas’ historic relationship with humans, the author introduces and profiles some of the more famous orcas and weaves their stories with facts about orca physiology. The first captives in the 1960s performed for the curious public in the unnatural setting of small tanks. When it became clear they weren’t the monsters everyone believed, their popularity prompted more captures. In the 70s, development of a technique for accurate counting of the wild population off the west coast of North America (not the tens of thousands people guessed, but only about 550) led to a change in attitude: studying them in the wild became the favored option. As scientific knowledge grew, so did the whales’ following amid concerns for their future in busy shipping lanes and polluted oceans, coupled with their facing declining food sources. Now, in June 2019, a bill to ban whale and dolphin captivity in Canada is set to become law. The orca story, as presented in this book, has come a long way.

Orcas Everywhere is a thick book with 18 short chapters, but its fairly large type size and liberal use of photos (which will be full color in the final copy), plus sidebars, make it a comfortable read for youngsters. The descriptions of historic interactions with orcas are dramatic and emotional. One chapter examines the various names these whales have been given by different cultures and the origin of the term ‘killer whale” which has helped to shape attitudes toward the whales over the decades. Readers will learn in detail about the discovery in the 1970s of the unique shapes and patterns of orca markings, a discovery that made identification of individuals possible and led to an amazing accumulation of knowledge about orca intelligence. The author anticipates questions that will arise during reading, takes the time to explain the facts and offer thinking points: e.g. “...if an alien species shot us, kidnapped our children and chased us ….how long do you think it would be before humans declared war?” Sidebars, called “Orca Bites”, give an abundance of additional information, such as what’s on an orca menu, what dorsal fins are made of, how orcas sleep, and what happened to various orcas captured over the years. Each chapter is introduced with a relevant quote from whale experts, naturalists, authors and Indigenous philosophy.

Throughout the book, the author is a constant advocate for a whale’s right to a free life in its natural habitat. To reinforce this position, his list of ‘What can we do to help orcas?” includes reducing waste (especially plastic) that may end up in the ocean, combating climate change, being quieter on the water, and allowing orcas their share of resources in the sea. This section is supplemented by profiles of young people who have taken action in their communities and with their local governments. A detailed list of Resources completes the book.

Orcas Everywhere is a valuable, extensive examination of what we’ve learned about orcas, filling a spot as an up-to-date reference among the many books in publication about this topic. It is well-researched, although one discrepancy in facts appears on pages 9 (Skana arrived at the Vancouver Aquarium in 1967...) and 13 (Skana was caught off the coast of Washington State in 1979…) which hopefully was caught in the final edits before publication.