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  • Spying on Whales

  • The Past, Present and Future of the World’s Largest Animals
  • By: Nick Pyenson
  • Narrated by: Mike Grady
  • Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (42 ratings)

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Spying on Whales

By: Nick Pyenson
Narrated by: Mike Grady
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Summary

Whales are among the largest, most intelligent, deepest diving species to have ever lived on our planet. We have hunted them for thousands of years and scratched their icons into our mythologies. They simultaneously fill us with waves of terror, awe and affection – yet we know hardly anything about them.

Whales tend to only enter our awareness when they die, struck by a ship or stranded in the surf. They evolved from land-roaming, dog-like creatures into animals that move like fish, breathe like us, can grow to 300,000 pounds, live 200 years and roam entire ocean basins. Yet despite centuries of observing whales, we know little about their evolutionary past.

In this remarkable new book, the Smithsonian’s star palaeontologist Nick Pyenson takes us to the ends of the earth and to the cutting edge of whale research as he searches for the answers to some of our biggest questions about these graceful giants. His rich storytelling takes us deep inside the Smithsonian’s unparalleled fossil collection, to frigid Antarctic waters, and to the arid desert of Chile, where scientists race against time to document the largest fossil whalebone site on earth.

Spying on Whales is an illuminating story of scientific discovery that brings readers closer to the most enigmatic and beloved animals of all time.

©2018 Nicholas Pyenson (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about Spying on Whales

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

a very enjoyable listen

very nicely written and narrated about the evolutionary history of whales. I really enjoyed it. a little.of the author in it, buy not too much. mostly just whales and evolution and bones.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What we learn from whales

The paleontologist author reveals the huge complexity of the oceanic lives of whales and dolphins, He considers how much we do not yet know and explores our impact on them - in the past, present and future. As well as fascinating it is yet another important analysis of the far reaching effects of climate change.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not what I had expected or hoped for

I struggled to finish this book. It was very repetitive. The last section was the most engaging personally but I still feel the book lacked a clear structure and purpose.

At times I was left uninterested and my mind wandered. Given the fact I study whales and dolphins this was surprising and made it very clear that this book was lacking in flare and excitement.

Disappointing to say the least...

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