Description

Humans and dolphins have a unique bond. We know that dolphins are highly intelligent, intensely sociable beings who recognize their own reflections, introduce themselves by name, form close friendships, communicate constantly, feel despondent, rescue one another (and humans), deduce, infer, throw tantrums, gossip, joke, and scheme. Many who have swum with them describe the experience as life-changing. They are heralded as magical creatures, and yet we force them into starring roles at theme parks, trade them on the black market and put them to slaughter.

Voices in the Ocean is at once a celebration of these beloved animals and a devastating chronicle of the damage wrought when human and dolphin worlds meet. Through Casey’s illuminating portrayal of these beguiling creatures we encounter the best and worst of ourselves.

Publisher Review

'Seems to be pitching for a TV series with its show-stopping opening...A brilliantly written and passionate book...timely and urgent.' * Guardian * 'Gripping...Casey is a joyously lyrical writer, and her descriptions of dolphin and human behaviour are mostly laugh-out-loud funny.' * Mail on Sunday * 'Casey's journey through the history of research into dolphin intelligence...uncovered things that had me gasping.' * Daily Telegraph * 'Casey describes the...dolphins...with sensitivity, wit and charm. But [their] enormous appeal has a sinister underbelly...Our relations with dolphins are not yet as respectful as their great intelligence deserves'. * BBC Wildlife * 'Both a zoological tract and a personal study, this book from marine-life enthusiast Casey explores humanity's uneasy relationship to dolphins'. * Observer * 'An extraordinary, sometimes disturbing, journey into the world of dolphins... By turns uplifting and heartbreaking, filled with well-researched facts and personal adventures, this a vitally important book, both for the animals, and for us.' -- Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan or, The Whale and The Sea Inside 'Voices in the Ocean is as much a beautiful, well-researched narrative about dolphins as it is a powerful and timely voice of reason urging us to connect with nature. You will be keenly recommending this to friends so that you can explore its depths together into the small hours.' -- Maya Plass, Marine and Coastal Ecologist, Guest Presenter on BBC Spring/Autumnwatch and author of the RSPB Handbook of the Seashore 'A meticulously reported global odyssey' * Outside magazine * 'This book puts our contradictory relationship with the natural world under the spotlight. We supposedly love and revere marine mammals, yet even today we still treat them with savage cruelty. Susan Casey uses her journalistic eye to skilfully expose the duality of our relationship with the ocean's most charismatic inhabitants. Voices in the Ocean exposes the shameful abuse we inflict on our cetacean cousins.' -- Tim Ecott, author of Stealing Water and Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World