Discover the elusive lives of Pacific Ocean whales as the the New York Times –bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Owls “offers the whale watch most of us can only dream of” ( Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus ). The perfect gift for nature lovers and anyone interested in marine biology! Leigh Calvez has spent a dozen years researching, observing, and probing the lives of the giants of the deep. Here, she relates the stories of nature's most remarkable creatures, including the familial orcas in the waters of Washington State and British Columbia; the migratory humpbacks; the ancient, deep-diving blue whales, the largest animals on the planet. The lives of these whales are conveyed through the work of dedicated researchers who have spent decades tracking them along their secretive routes that extend for thousands of miles, gleaning their habits and sounds and distinguishing peculiarities. Calvez author invites the reader onto a small research catamaran maneuvering among 100-foot long blue whales off the coast of California; or to join the task of monitoring patterns of humpback whale movements at the ocean surface: tail throw , flipper slap fluke up , or blow . To experience whales is breathtaking. To understand their lives deepens our connection with the natural world.