The whale: mighty monarch of the sea (The Undersea discoveries of Jacques-Yves Cousteau)

This book was first published in 1972. Since that time advancements in underwater photographic equipment have been enormous. I have often wondered what the great Jacques Cousteau and his team would have achieved had they possessed today's equipment in the 50's, 60's and 70's. But then I took another look at some of the photographs in this book. The pictures of Humpback Whales on pages 110/111 and of a mother and calf across pages 181/182 - plus other examples, are all of a standard which would be described as outstanding - today! This is not just another book about Whales written by an expert. This is a book about Whales which is not only written by an expert but includes all his own and his team's personal encounters with these might leviathans. It is those personal encounters which give this book the edge over anything written by others. Yes, the book is now out of print - but there are some that are still available (hence this review). Having studied the content once again (after a gap of too many years), I find that content is as relevant to the modern diver as it ever was. As with all the books in this series, it is a good read and, once again, I can only suggest all serious divers add a copy to their bookshelf before it finally becomes unavailable. NM

An extraordinary work in which the friendly and intimate relationship between man and whales gives way to wonder and awe as Captain Cousteau recounts his expeditions accross the oceans of the world in search of the mightiest creature to have ever lived.Beginning with a fascinating look at some of the remarkable qualities of the whale - its size and the power implied by such enormous proportions, its high level of intelligence, its general lack of aggressiveness and ferocity, and its paradoxical fragility and dependence on the sea, the adventures of the Calllypso team are captured on film and in an absorbing narrative, describing encounters with whales in the Pacific and Indian oceans, including the gray whale and the killer whale.The result is an unforgettable picture of a creature whose role in the precarious balance of the seas has been misunderstood since ancient times. It is also a creature in criical danger of extinction and Captain Cousteau closes with a passionate plea for its preservation.

This is a superbly and colorfully illustrated book on Whales, a part of the Whale, Dolphin, Shark 3 book set (ISBN 0884860175) remarkable effort by the Cousteau Society Staff. In keeping with his fine work with his National Geographic films Cousteau brings us yet another informative and illuminating glimpse of what we know so little.