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Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science & Technology (2015)While swimming off the coast of Maui, Susan Casey was surrounded by a pod of spinner dolphins. It was a profoundly transporting experience, and it inspired her to embark on a two-year global adventure to explore the nature of these remarkable beings and their complex relationship to humanity. Casey examines the career of the controversial John Lilly, the pioneer of modern dolphin studies whose work eventually led him down some very strange paths. She visits a community in Hawaii whose adherents believe dolphins are the key to spiritual enlightenment, travels to Ireland, where a dolphin named as “the world’s most loyal animal” has delighted tourists and locals for decades with his friendly antics, and consults with the world’s leading marine researchers, whose sense of wonder inspired by the dolphins they study increases the more they discover.
Yet there is a dark side to our relationship with dolphins. They are the stars of a global multibillion-dollar captivity industry, whose money has fueled a sinister and lucrative trade in which dolphins are captured violently, then shipped and kept in brutal conditions. Casey’s investigation into this cruel underground takes her to the harrowing epicenter of the trade in the Solomon Islands, and to the Japanese town of Taiji, made famous by the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, where she chronicles the annual slaughter and sale of dolphins in its narrow bay.
Casey ends her narrative on the island of Crete, where millennia-old frescoes and artwork document the great Minoan civilization, a culture which lived in harmony with dolphins, and whose example shows the way to a more enlightened coexistence with the natural world.
Yet there is a dark side to our relationship with dolphins. They are the stars of a global multibillion-dollar captivity industry, whose money has fueled a sinister and lucrative trade in which dolphins are captured violently, then shipped and kept in brutal conditions. Casey’s investigation into this cruel underground takes her to the harrowing epicenter of the trade in the Solomon Islands, and to the Japanese town of Taiji, made famous by the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, where she chronicles the annual slaughter and sale of dolphins in its narrow bay.
Casey ends her narrative on the island of Crete, where millennia-old frescoes and artwork document the great Minoan civilization, a culture which lived in harmony with dolphins, and whose example shows the way to a more enlightened coexistence with the natural world.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2015
383 people are currently reading
9510 people want to read
About the author
Susan Casey
10 books494 followersSusan Casey is the author of the “The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean,” and “The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s Great White Sharks.” Both books are New York Times bestsellers, with “The Wave” named one of 2010’s Most Notable Books. Her latest book, “Voices in the Ocean: A Journey Into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins,” was published by Knopf Doubleday in August 2015, and became a New York Times bestseller in its first week on sale. Voices was also chosen as one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2016.
“The Devil’s Teeth” was also a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, a San Francisco Public Library Book Club Selection, a BookSense bestseller, a Barnes & Noble Discover Selection, a Library Journal Best Book of 2005, a 2005 NPR Summer Reading Selection, and a Hudson News Best Book of 2006. Outside magazine included it in “The New Adventure Library: The 32 Best of the 21st Century’s Books, Movies, and Videos.” Apple featured The Devil’s Teeth on its list of ten “iEssentials” in the Adventure and Travel category.
“The Wave” was also a Hudson News Best Book for 2010, an Indies Choice Award winner, and was featured on dozens of bestseller and critics’ best of the year lists. It won the North American Society for Oceanic History’s John Lyman Book Prize for Science and Technology, and an Indies’ Choice Award in 2011. Mens Journal named it one of “The 50 Greatest Adventure Books” of all time.
From 2009–2013, Casey served as the editor in chief of O, The Oprah Magazine. The publication is one of the country’s largest, with a monthly readership of 15 million women. In 2012, O won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence and the Clarion Award for Best Overall Magazine; during Casey’s tenure the title also garnered numerous other accolades and awards. Along with editing the magazine, Casey contributed to O as a writer, with features that included an odyssey into the world of spiritual healing, and a global scavenger hunt to discover nature’s most powerful superfoods.
In the course of reporting, Casey has lived among great white sharks, faced 70-foot waves off Maui’s north shore, ventured into the heart of the Gulf oil spill, trained as a sharpshooter, and performed as a mermaid in a giant tank, among other adventures. In 2008, she won a National Magazine Award for her Esquire feature, “75,” an investigation of what aging really means, as examined through the life of one exceptional man. In 2006, she received a National Magazine Award nomination for her story, “Our Oceans Are Turning to Plastic…Are You?” an environmental exposé on the dire impact plastic pollution in the oceans is having on planetary and human health. Her writing has appeared in Esquire, National Geographic, Fortune, Time, and Sports Illustrated, as well as the anthologies: “The Best American Science and Nature Writing,” “The Best American Sports Writing,” and “The Best American Magazine Writing.”
From 2000 to 2009, Casey was the development editor of Time Inc; the editor in chief of Sports Illustrated Women; and an editor at large for Time Inc.’s magazine titles. From 1994–1999, she was the creative director of Outside magazine, where she was part of the editorial team that published the original stories behind the bestselling books “Into Thin Air,” and “The Perfect Storm,” as well as the movie “Blue Crush.” During her tenure, Outside won three consecutive, history-making National Magazine Awards for General Excellence. Casey is the only person to have won this prize in all three disciplines: editing, writing, and art direction.
Casey has made frequent TV and radio appearances, including “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “Charlie Rose,” “Conan,” “Anderson Cooper 360,” “Nightline,” “Good Morning America,” “Today,” “The CBS Morning Show,” as well as many NPR outlets including Fresh Air, The Takeaway, and Life on Earth.
Casey lives in New York and
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 527 reviews
June 18, 2017
I was clearing out a cupboard recently, and found a box with my report cards from primary school. My grade 5 teacher wrote in my report that year of my obsession with dolphins, and she wondered if I dreamt of dolphins every night.
I can’t name a time when I haven’t been obsessed with dolphins; it’s there for as far back as I can remember. It’s still there now. Looking up from my computer I can see the photos of dolphins I have stuck on my pinboard. I love dolphins, I feel an affinity with them.
I hadn’t read a book by Susan Casey before, but this definitely won’t be the last. Leaving aside the content for a moment, she has an engaging writing style that draws you in and keeps you there. I love reading non-fiction, but there are few non-fiction books that I just can’t put down and want to keep reading in the way I did with this book. Partly that is because of the content, but even wonderful content can be made dry and boring in the wrong hands. This was in the right hands.
So about that content. Casey has chapters that show us dolphins and those who love them. From new age hippies who swim with the dolphins every day (I so want to move to that place!), to scientists studying and monitoring cetacean populations to those protesting for animal rights and then ending with the ancient Minoans. Amongst those chapters though, are the chapters dealing with Taiji, with dolphins in captivity, and with the Solomon Islands. Those chapters are highly distressing. I cried; a lot. Despite how well the book is written, I couldn’t have continued with the book if not for the way the author had structured it. Rather than taking a chronological approach, the author sandwiched those distressing chapters amongst the ‘feel good’ chapters. This allowed me a breather, and a chance to collect myself again before the next harrowing part.
You see the best of people, and the worst of people in this book. Those who put their own safety (and lives) on the line to campaign for dolphins, as well as those driven by greed. But Casey gives hope as well, in the form of people who formerly exploited dolphins reconsidering their actions.
A difficult read at times, but a worthy one.
I can’t name a time when I haven’t been obsessed with dolphins; it’s there for as far back as I can remember. It’s still there now. Looking up from my computer I can see the photos of dolphins I have stuck on my pinboard. I love dolphins, I feel an affinity with them.
I hadn’t read a book by Susan Casey before, but this definitely won’t be the last. Leaving aside the content for a moment, she has an engaging writing style that draws you in and keeps you there. I love reading non-fiction, but there are few non-fiction books that I just can’t put down and want to keep reading in the way I did with this book. Partly that is because of the content, but even wonderful content can be made dry and boring in the wrong hands. This was in the right hands.
So about that content. Casey has chapters that show us dolphins and those who love them. From new age hippies who swim with the dolphins every day (I so want to move to that place!), to scientists studying and monitoring cetacean populations to those protesting for animal rights and then ending with the ancient Minoans. Amongst those chapters though, are the chapters dealing with Taiji, with dolphins in captivity, and with the Solomon Islands. Those chapters are highly distressing. I cried; a lot. Despite how well the book is written, I couldn’t have continued with the book if not for the way the author had structured it. Rather than taking a chronological approach, the author sandwiched those distressing chapters amongst the ‘feel good’ chapters. This allowed me a breather, and a chance to collect myself again before the next harrowing part.
You see the best of people, and the worst of people in this book. Those who put their own safety (and lives) on the line to campaign for dolphins, as well as those driven by greed. But Casey gives hope as well, in the form of people who formerly exploited dolphins reconsidering their actions.
A difficult read at times, but a worthy one.
April 14, 2024
I see this book as making two important points, one about humanity and the other about dolphins.
Regarding the first, humanity is a sorry lot. We are greedy beyond all reason and violent under the guise of any half-baked justification that enters our minds. Voices in the Ocean illustrates these human characteristics by reporting on dolphin hunting activities in Japan (also documented in the 2009 film, The Cove) as well as in Solomon Islands. In both cases, the brutality is heart wrenching and the greed is rampant. This is the horrific aspect to Voices in the Ocean, and Casey tells it with a tone of calmness that allows reality to set in.
The second point about dolphins elevated my perspective of these beautiful creatures. Voices in the Ocean imparts information about their existence and their intelligence. Dolphins are self-aware and are aware of each other, they communicate and plan with one another, and given the opportunity, they will communicate with us. They have three times as many neurons in their brains of a type known in humans to be responsible for friendship, love, and camaraderie. When one dolphin dies, the loss felt by the other dolphins in the pod may be far greater than the loss we feel after the death of someone dear.
Prior to this book, I perceived dolphins as animals with a good disposition, along the same lines as the faithful dogs we keep as pets, but Casey shows that they are much more intelligent and sentient than that. The fact that constantly animates this realization is that their brain, which is every bit as complex as the human brain, has had more than 50 million years to evolve. In contrast, Hominins first appeared around 6 million years ago. If you consider how compatible we both are with our respective environments, dolphins may be far more intelligent than we are at our early stage of development.
All of this suggests that we are probably failing a vital test in the recognition of intelligent life. As we search the stars for such intelligence, it may behoove us to learn as much as we can about the alien intelligence that is living alongside us in the oceans of the world.
Regarding the first, humanity is a sorry lot. We are greedy beyond all reason and violent under the guise of any half-baked justification that enters our minds. Voices in the Ocean illustrates these human characteristics by reporting on dolphin hunting activities in Japan (also documented in the 2009 film, The Cove) as well as in Solomon Islands. In both cases, the brutality is heart wrenching and the greed is rampant. This is the horrific aspect to Voices in the Ocean, and Casey tells it with a tone of calmness that allows reality to set in.
The second point about dolphins elevated my perspective of these beautiful creatures. Voices in the Ocean imparts information about their existence and their intelligence. Dolphins are self-aware and are aware of each other, they communicate and plan with one another, and given the opportunity, they will communicate with us. They have three times as many neurons in their brains of a type known in humans to be responsible for friendship, love, and camaraderie. When one dolphin dies, the loss felt by the other dolphins in the pod may be far greater than the loss we feel after the death of someone dear.
Prior to this book, I perceived dolphins as animals with a good disposition, along the same lines as the faithful dogs we keep as pets, but Casey shows that they are much more intelligent and sentient than that. The fact that constantly animates this realization is that their brain, which is every bit as complex as the human brain, has had more than 50 million years to evolve. In contrast, Hominins first appeared around 6 million years ago. If you consider how compatible we both are with our respective environments, dolphins may be far more intelligent than we are at our early stage of development.
All of this suggests that we are probably failing a vital test in the recognition of intelligent life. As we search the stars for such intelligence, it may behoove us to learn as much as we can about the alien intelligence that is living alongside us in the oceans of the world.
August 10, 2015
God, this is a difficult read. REALLY depressing, but very valuable. I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but it contains too much heart breaking information. It's very well written and wonderfully executed, but it's hard to swallow. I'm exhausted, sad, and angry now.
August 18, 2015
Susan Casey’s Voices in the Ocean made me fall deeply in love with dolphins, those intelligent, highly social mammals of the sea, then tore my heart out by describing the appalling abuses they receive at the hands of our species. Deeply sad after her father died unexpectedly, Casey was in the middle of a perhaps ill advised solo swim across Honolua Bay when she encountered a large pod, forty or fifty animals, of gently chattering spinner dolphins swimming toward her. Instead of just passing by, they swam with her for a while, lifting her spirits almost like magic and setting her on a worldwide dolphin odyssey.
Casey traveled to some wonderfully quirky places, like the new-agey Dolphinville on Hawaii’s Big Island, where 200-some people live, work, meditate, and swim with wild dolphins together. But she also visited marine parks and tourist pleasing “swim with the dolphins” sites, where community-loving dolphins are isolated and kept in slave like conditions, and she connected with dolphin activists in several parts of the world where dolphins are slaughtered in mass numbers, often because it’s believed they eat fish that should be food for people and sometimes, even more horribly, just for spite. Sea pollution and the US Navy’s underwater sonar are other human activities that have had a devastating impact on dolphins.
Along the way Casey sought out researchers who’ve studied dolphins, so the book is a mixture of science, history, personal experience, and social commentary. It’s beautifully and movingly written, and I especially loved reading about the evolutionary background of dolphins, the special qualities their large brains endow them with, the eons long and mostly wonderful history of human-dolphin interactions, and the fascinating characteristics of dolphin societies--Casey compares them to an ancient tribe.
The abuses were painful to read about, but I’m glad to be better informed. And Casey ends the book on an up note by summarizing what is known about the intriguing, apparently dolphin-loving Minoan civilization and describing her visit to the art-rich Minoan archaeological sites and museums of Santorini and Crete-- Minoan art is both colorful and beautiful, and definitely worth Google-imaging.
Casey traveled to some wonderfully quirky places, like the new-agey Dolphinville on Hawaii’s Big Island, where 200-some people live, work, meditate, and swim with wild dolphins together. But she also visited marine parks and tourist pleasing “swim with the dolphins” sites, where community-loving dolphins are isolated and kept in slave like conditions, and she connected with dolphin activists in several parts of the world where dolphins are slaughtered in mass numbers, often because it’s believed they eat fish that should be food for people and sometimes, even more horribly, just for spite. Sea pollution and the US Navy’s underwater sonar are other human activities that have had a devastating impact on dolphins.
Along the way Casey sought out researchers who’ve studied dolphins, so the book is a mixture of science, history, personal experience, and social commentary. It’s beautifully and movingly written, and I especially loved reading about the evolutionary background of dolphins, the special qualities their large brains endow them with, the eons long and mostly wonderful history of human-dolphin interactions, and the fascinating characteristics of dolphin societies--Casey compares them to an ancient tribe.
The abuses were painful to read about, but I’m glad to be better informed. And Casey ends the book on an up note by summarizing what is known about the intriguing, apparently dolphin-loving Minoan civilization and describing her visit to the art-rich Minoan archaeological sites and museums of Santorini and Crete-- Minoan art is both colorful and beautiful, and definitely worth Google-imaging.
Want to read
September 25, 2019*********************
*Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel 4 stars by Carl Safina
*The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter than You Think 4 stars by Brian Hare
*Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl 5 stars by Stacey O'Brien
*The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology 5 stars by Bernd Heinrich
*Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins TBR by Susan Casey
*The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives TBR
*To Touch a Wild Dolphin: A Journey of Discovery with the Sea's Most Intelligent Creatures TBR
*Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel 4 stars by Carl Safina
*The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter than You Think 4 stars by Brian Hare
*Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl 5 stars by Stacey O'Brien
*The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology 5 stars by Bernd Heinrich
*Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins TBR by Susan Casey
*The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives TBR
*To Touch a Wild Dolphin: A Journey of Discovery with the Sea's Most Intelligent Creatures TBR
November 11, 2018
I have only seen dolphins once briefly in the wild. We were coming back from holiday in Jersey and as the ferry eased its way into the narrow harbour of St Peter Port in Guernsey behind the boat there were some leaping in the wake. It was a magical moment in that brief glimpse. There are often off the coast of Dorset and we have been out to Durlston Head to see if we can see them, but haven't been fortunate yet.
They are highly intelligent creatures, they can recognise themselves in the mirror, are capable of empathy, grief and teamwork. They are excellent communicators, their clicks and whistles are almost continuous as they zip through the ocean. The more that we discover of their abilities the more amazed we become. They are almost human-like in some ways.
However, these magnificent creatures though are under threat. Being an apex predator they accumulate all the toxins and plastics that are contained within their prey. Those that we haven't killed accidentally are frequently killed in nets and there are communities in the world that see them as a threat to their fishing stocks and kill thousands each year. On top of all that the world's oceans are now a noisy place with a constant drone from propellers and super loud sonar from military manoeuvres. Dolphin carcases wash up on all the shores around the world, but if that part of the ocean is polluted then the numbers dying grows enormously.
Casey falls in love with these amazing animals and heads to various places around the world to meet those that love dolphins such as Dolphinville on Hawaii’s Big Island where people spend time swimming with the spinner dolphins, as well as taking more harrowing trips to Japan, and seeing where hundreds are slaughtered. On her travels, she discovers more about the trade in live creatures and how a creature that needs the whole of the ocean to live in ends up in marinas and private collections. Her descriptions of her visits to see the animals that are held in captivity are shocking and heart-wrenching. We are rapidly approaching the tipping point where we may not have any dolphins left in the seas. If that ever happens we as a species will be much poorer for it. Not quite as good as her book on waves, but still makes for compelling reading.
They are highly intelligent creatures, they can recognise themselves in the mirror, are capable of empathy, grief and teamwork. They are excellent communicators, their clicks and whistles are almost continuous as they zip through the ocean. The more that we discover of their abilities the more amazed we become. They are almost human-like in some ways.
However, these magnificent creatures though are under threat. Being an apex predator they accumulate all the toxins and plastics that are contained within their prey. Those that we haven't killed accidentally are frequently killed in nets and there are communities in the world that see them as a threat to their fishing stocks and kill thousands each year. On top of all that the world's oceans are now a noisy place with a constant drone from propellers and super loud sonar from military manoeuvres. Dolphin carcases wash up on all the shores around the world, but if that part of the ocean is polluted then the numbers dying grows enormously.
Casey falls in love with these amazing animals and heads to various places around the world to meet those that love dolphins such as Dolphinville on Hawaii’s Big Island where people spend time swimming with the spinner dolphins, as well as taking more harrowing trips to Japan, and seeing where hundreds are slaughtered. On her travels, she discovers more about the trade in live creatures and how a creature that needs the whole of the ocean to live in ends up in marinas and private collections. Her descriptions of her visits to see the animals that are held in captivity are shocking and heart-wrenching. We are rapidly approaching the tipping point where we may not have any dolphins left in the seas. If that ever happens we as a species will be much poorer for it. Not quite as good as her book on waves, but still makes for compelling reading.
July 14, 2015
A number chapters in this novel were outstanding. In particular, the chapters dealing with Ric O'Barry's struggle to stop the massacres of dolphins in Taiji, Japan and Lawrence Makili's similar struggle in The Solomon Islands. Both men literally risked their lives for dolphins are are to be highly commended. But then on the other hand, we have a chapters dealing with the troubling, drug addled, shenanigans of Dr.John Lilly or the silly New Age meanderings of Joan Ocean, that in my opinion took away from the book's powerful overall message. The chapter on Lori Marino who perfectly matched her love and admiration of dolphins with real science was also admirable. And I'd be remiss not to mention the chapter based on the of people Dingle Ireland who befriended a solitary dolphin, or did the dolphin befriend the town of Dingle ? Either way, a wonderful chapter. And in conclusion, I have to commend author Susan Casey for choosing Ancient Greek History as well as Greek Art, in the final chapter to wonderfully portray her personal feelings for dolphins. Art is always a powerful medium, and lest we forget, history should never be forgotten...
January 11, 2020
Generally well written if you’re not put off by a bit of new agey stuff. She says she tries to keep an open mind but... I’ve read two other books by this author that were better, but i give it 4 stars anyway.
March 11, 2017
“How do you think humans got so cruel? We forgot. We forgot our responsibility. And we forgot that we are as equal as any living thing within the chains. There’s not hierarchy in this. Nah. We are part of the same family: living things. All the rest of it is just totally fucking bullshit.”
“A creation by God. And we just kill. We kill that mammal that is created by God. For me, for my understanding, for my opinion, that’s not a blessing. It’s just a form of stupid.”
“It’s true that dolphin hunting is our culture. But it’s time to change.”
“In my opinion, it’s really irresponsible of the Navy. It’s a PR mistake, big time. They could go somewhere else-and they go where there’s a sensitive species and people have to get out of the water? How can that be good for anyone?”
“All of which is very assuring, if you are inclined to believe an institution that is busily blasting the animals out of existence, using the same sonar technologies that we requited them to help us develop.”
“Were these RIMPAC casualties? Not surprisingly, the Navy denied it. To speculate that sonar of missile tests had been to blame for the dolphin traumas would be “premature and irresponsible”. There was no proof either way, it was true, only ugly coincidence. But it was the same ugly coincidence that had happened so many times before.”
As a passionate animal love and advocate, this book resonated with me. Susan Casey is an award winning journalist who has been to many places in the world and has written many books on marine life.
This book is her report on the plight of the sea, marine ecosystem, and the marine mammals we all love.
Jumping back and forth between science and conservation, Casey reveals fascinating information about dolphins and their environment. Along the way we meet huge dolphin and wildlife advocates who are presently trying to save this species- all species in fact.
It’s a brutal book that covers the heaping amount of abuse we pour onto sea creatures. From penning them into 4 by 4 walls as an “attraction” to disrupting their pods. Separating mothers from calves. Forcing pods into closed off areas only to kill them in mass murder mayhem. Ill treatment by “caretakers”. Shooting them because they are seen as a menace or because we have some misconception about them. Shooting missiles into the ocean that is causing them huge amounts of pain to their ear canals causing turmoil and confusion in a creature that highly depends on hearing and thus, has sensitive and highly complex echolocation methods.
We’ve lost our ability to empathize as a species. I would dare to say we’ve lost our humanity. In Greece, there was a very ancient civilizations known as the Minoans, who were one with nature. An entire civilization where food and wealth were in abundance yet there was no currency. Where they worshiped a female god. Where they were at peace with dolphins.
We’ve come a long way from that. As Thomas Barry once wrote, “We think we have understood everything but we have not. We have used everything.”
Science has shown time and time again that wildlife creatures are more complex then what we take them for. They are able to recognize themselves. Show emotions ranging from curiosity to grief to depression. They have developed finesse methods that help them survive. They are able to communicate with each other. They have distinct personalities. There is a weird bond between us and them. But while they show harmless curiosity and eagerness, we show hate, anger, stupidity, and cruelty.
We really are a stupid, greed driven species. No other living species has done so much damage to the Earth. To the environment. To each other. Yet we have the brazen audacity to place ourselves at the top of the world. How are we better than any other living creature when we can’t even take care of the only place we can call home? How can we call ourselves the best when we can’t even communicate effectively with one another?
Throughout the book, Casey shows how much damage we have caused and how now we are finally taking actions to undo the damage. To teach the public and advocate that all living creatures be treated humanely. Whether it works or whether it’s too late is tough to say. History has shown time and time again that for any change to occur in the world, there needs to be mass support. People demanding their rights and freedom is one thing. But now is the time to put aside the individuality and fight for another's need. One who does not have a voice in the human world, yet its fate rests in our hands.
Below I have references to many sites and people to go to and follow for more information. Please, if you have even the smallest of attraction to marine life, read this book and check out the links below. I may not mean much to you, but for them it makes a huge difference. And whether our inflated ego likes it or not, we heavily depend on them for our own survival.
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
“A creation by God. And we just kill. We kill that mammal that is created by God. For me, for my understanding, for my opinion, that’s not a blessing. It’s just a form of stupid.”
“It’s true that dolphin hunting is our culture. But it’s time to change.”
“In my opinion, it’s really irresponsible of the Navy. It’s a PR mistake, big time. They could go somewhere else-and they go where there’s a sensitive species and people have to get out of the water? How can that be good for anyone?”
“All of which is very assuring, if you are inclined to believe an institution that is busily blasting the animals out of existence, using the same sonar technologies that we requited them to help us develop.”
“Were these RIMPAC casualties? Not surprisingly, the Navy denied it. To speculate that sonar of missile tests had been to blame for the dolphin traumas would be “premature and irresponsible”. There was no proof either way, it was true, only ugly coincidence. But it was the same ugly coincidence that had happened so many times before.”
As a passionate animal love and advocate, this book resonated with me. Susan Casey is an award winning journalist who has been to many places in the world and has written many books on marine life.
This book is her report on the plight of the sea, marine ecosystem, and the marine mammals we all love.
Jumping back and forth between science and conservation, Casey reveals fascinating information about dolphins and their environment. Along the way we meet huge dolphin and wildlife advocates who are presently trying to save this species- all species in fact.
It’s a brutal book that covers the heaping amount of abuse we pour onto sea creatures. From penning them into 4 by 4 walls as an “attraction” to disrupting their pods. Separating mothers from calves. Forcing pods into closed off areas only to kill them in mass murder mayhem. Ill treatment by “caretakers”. Shooting them because they are seen as a menace or because we have some misconception about them. Shooting missiles into the ocean that is causing them huge amounts of pain to their ear canals causing turmoil and confusion in a creature that highly depends on hearing and thus, has sensitive and highly complex echolocation methods.
We’ve lost our ability to empathize as a species. I would dare to say we’ve lost our humanity. In Greece, there was a very ancient civilizations known as the Minoans, who were one with nature. An entire civilization where food and wealth were in abundance yet there was no currency. Where they worshiped a female god. Where they were at peace with dolphins.
We’ve come a long way from that. As Thomas Barry once wrote, “We think we have understood everything but we have not. We have used everything.”
Science has shown time and time again that wildlife creatures are more complex then what we take them for. They are able to recognize themselves. Show emotions ranging from curiosity to grief to depression. They have developed finesse methods that help them survive. They are able to communicate with each other. They have distinct personalities. There is a weird bond between us and them. But while they show harmless curiosity and eagerness, we show hate, anger, stupidity, and cruelty.
We really are a stupid, greed driven species. No other living species has done so much damage to the Earth. To the environment. To each other. Yet we have the brazen audacity to place ourselves at the top of the world. How are we better than any other living creature when we can’t even take care of the only place we can call home? How can we call ourselves the best when we can’t even communicate effectively with one another?
Throughout the book, Casey shows how much damage we have caused and how now we are finally taking actions to undo the damage. To teach the public and advocate that all living creatures be treated humanely. Whether it works or whether it’s too late is tough to say. History has shown time and time again that for any change to occur in the world, there needs to be mass support. People demanding their rights and freedom is one thing. But now is the time to put aside the individuality and fight for another's need. One who does not have a voice in the human world, yet its fate rests in our hands.
Below I have references to many sites and people to go to and follow for more information. Please, if you have even the smallest of attraction to marine life, read this book and check out the links below. I may not mean much to you, but for them it makes a huge difference. And whether our inflated ego likes it or not, we heavily depend on them for our own survival.
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
my link text
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September 24, 2015
I really hate to complain about a book not being what I thought it would be, but based on the title and subtitle of this book I thought it would be about dolphins. It was not, not really. The author spends time with various people with wildly varying perspectives on dolphins. She also spends time in some significant dolphin related locales, like Taiji in Japan, a place I'd be afraid to go. And Voices In The Ocean ends up being an interesting book, just not one about dolphins. In reality, this book is about people and how they (occasionally "we") relate to dolphins. We learn that some people really love dolphins and believe some pretty "far out" things about them and we also learn that others see dolphins as simply a way to make money - as if we didn't know this already. Very little actual info about dolphins themselves can be found in these pages, however. If the subtitle had, like a Jon Mooallem book, indicated that it was "a book about people and how they relate to dolphins" (to paraphrase Mooallem) then my expectations and reading experience would've been much different. I will look to other books to learn more about dolphins.
December 8, 2023
Susan Casey's Voices in the Ocean is a book about Delphinidae, a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea, including several species whose common names contain "whale" rather than "dolphin", such as the killer whale and the pilot whales. The book is half scientific and half investigation journalism. The dolphin killing and trade, US's Navy's brutal war machine, global overfishing and ocean pollution, all make the book a very heavy read. The book also contains the controversial dolphin researcher John C. Lilly, as well as work by Dr. Lori Marino, the leading neuroscientist and animal rights activist.
I will not bring myself or my kids to see any dolphin shows in capativity ever again. One uplifting chapter in the book is about Fungie the Dingle dolphin, another is swimming with dolphin in Hawaii. As an adopted Irish, I am proud of my people.
The last chapter about Minoan civilization is highly interesting, and it makes me want to read more about it. What a tragedy such an advance civilization became buried under volcanic ashes!
History belongs to the winners and winner takes it all. If human race keep current destructive patten, eventually there will be no one else to kill, only ourselves. Nature will have her revenge.
I will not bring myself or my kids to see any dolphin shows in capativity ever again. One uplifting chapter in the book is about Fungie the Dingle dolphin, another is swimming with dolphin in Hawaii. As an adopted Irish, I am proud of my people.
The last chapter about Minoan civilization is highly interesting, and it makes me want to read more about it. What a tragedy such an advance civilization became buried under volcanic ashes!
History belongs to the winners and winner takes it all. If human race keep current destructive patten, eventually there will be no one else to kill, only ourselves. Nature will have her revenge.
September 3, 2015
Casey packs a lot of insight into this captivating book. I learned quite a bit about both dolphin ecology and the harrowing future they (we?) face. The chapter about the Solomon Islands was particularly eye-opening. Still, I could have done without some of the "woo" in the chapters that dealt with the spiritual connection some people believe they have to dolphins. While those passages did create a counterpoint to the horror of what humans are doing to the oceans, I would have preferred to hear more from scientists who actually understand these creatures instead of from people who think the dolphins come from other dimensions to share love with humanity. But this niggle probably says more about my extreme bias against any point of view that posits animals as being put here for the good of humans as opposed to just being animals that do their own thing regardless of humanity. Overall though, a very worthwhile read.
April 21, 2017
One thing I do know is that if you can drag your child to the likes of Sea World after reading this book, you might want to do some serious contemplation about the health of your soul.
Voices in the Ocean is one writer’s fascinating, infuriating, enchanting, depressing, altogether amazing foray into learning everything she could about dolphins.
One magical, surreal dolphin pod encounter in Hawaii spurred Susan Casey’s curiosity. She wanted to learn everything she could about dolphins, to investigate the fact, fiction, science, and symbolism surrounding cetacean mammals. Research for the book took her around the world: Hawaii, Canada, Japan, The Solomon Islands, Crete, Ireland. She talked to marine biologists, wildlife activists, former trainers, village people engaged in illegal sales of captive marine life, a new age “encounter” leader convinced that dolphins are links to other dimensions, archaeologists studying Minoan frescoes and pottery. In each encounter, she parked her bias at the gate and put on her journalist hat. Still, this book is as much about her reaction to what she learned and how it affected her as it is about cetaceans.
There is a current fad with non-fiction for the writer to make the book more about him/her than it is the topic presented. Maybe that stylistic choice supposed to make the book seem more “approachable” or “intimate,” but I find it often just comes off as self-absorbed and irritating. Susan Casey combines memoir with journalism in a way that her experience adds depth to the subject rather than detracting from it. It’s the difference between the author saying “Look at me” and “Come with me.”
The beginning chapters cover the controversial work of Dr. John Lilly and his often bizarre approaches toward research. At first, I wondered about this choice. Lilly was brilliant in many ways, but it's an understatement to say he didn't always exercise good judgement or stick to mainstream research methods. He became a joke in the scientific world because of his antics. It would be easy to dismiss this inclusion, especially so early in the book, as a marketing stunt to generate buzz about the book. After all, LSD and inter-species sex is the kind of salacious fodder interviewers love to latch onto. After thinking about it a while, I decided that Ms. Casey had to include the material on Lilly, and she had to get it out of the way quickly. He may have been controversial--and a little cuckoo--but he did play a big part in the history of dolphin research. Besides, Ms. Casey didn’t set out to investigate only the hard science of dolphins; she decided to approach the subject from myriad angles.
There are chapters in this book that truly are difficult to read, even for a hard-ass pragmatist like me. Ms. Casey doesn’t shy away from detailing the horrible dolphin kills in Japan and the Solomon Islands, the inhumane conditions of captive dolphins in “entertainment” complexes, and the seedy, greedy side of the fishing industry. This book contains very graphic descriptions of cruelty and slaughter she witnessed. It’s stunning how intentionally cruel and craven humans can be sometimes. For good or bad, I’m too much a confirmed omnivore to say that it made me consider becoming a vegetarian, but I can say there were a lot of vegetarian meals eaten at our house this week. It definitely has me reconsidering our choices in seafood; I’ll be consulting www.seawatch.org before my next sushi binge for certain. (And that will probably be in the far distant future when I can scrub my brain from some of the images in it right now.)
The book is not all doom and gore. Interspersed among the more grisly chapters are respites that allow the reader to catch a breath while Ms. Casey takes us to investigate Minoan ruins or eavesdrop in on a new age "dolphin encounter" or assist with an ocean population count. (That last one isn't quite so happy, however, as you'll likely find yourself infuriated with the US Navy.)
I can’t say I exactly “enjoyed” the book because of some of the horrible things I learned, but I do think it was well worth my time and am glad I read it. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
Voices in the Ocean is one writer’s fascinating, infuriating, enchanting, depressing, altogether amazing foray into learning everything she could about dolphins.
One magical, surreal dolphin pod encounter in Hawaii spurred Susan Casey’s curiosity. She wanted to learn everything she could about dolphins, to investigate the fact, fiction, science, and symbolism surrounding cetacean mammals. Research for the book took her around the world: Hawaii, Canada, Japan, The Solomon Islands, Crete, Ireland. She talked to marine biologists, wildlife activists, former trainers, village people engaged in illegal sales of captive marine life, a new age “encounter” leader convinced that dolphins are links to other dimensions, archaeologists studying Minoan frescoes and pottery. In each encounter, she parked her bias at the gate and put on her journalist hat. Still, this book is as much about her reaction to what she learned and how it affected her as it is about cetaceans.
There is a current fad with non-fiction for the writer to make the book more about him/her than it is the topic presented. Maybe that stylistic choice supposed to make the book seem more “approachable” or “intimate,” but I find it often just comes off as self-absorbed and irritating. Susan Casey combines memoir with journalism in a way that her experience adds depth to the subject rather than detracting from it. It’s the difference between the author saying “Look at me” and “Come with me.”
The beginning chapters cover the controversial work of Dr. John Lilly and his often bizarre approaches toward research. At first, I wondered about this choice. Lilly was brilliant in many ways, but it's an understatement to say he didn't always exercise good judgement or stick to mainstream research methods. He became a joke in the scientific world because of his antics. It would be easy to dismiss this inclusion, especially so early in the book, as a marketing stunt to generate buzz about the book. After all, LSD and inter-species sex is the kind of salacious fodder interviewers love to latch onto. After thinking about it a while, I decided that Ms. Casey had to include the material on Lilly, and she had to get it out of the way quickly. He may have been controversial--and a little cuckoo--but he did play a big part in the history of dolphin research. Besides, Ms. Casey didn’t set out to investigate only the hard science of dolphins; she decided to approach the subject from myriad angles.
There are chapters in this book that truly are difficult to read, even for a hard-ass pragmatist like me. Ms. Casey doesn’t shy away from detailing the horrible dolphin kills in Japan and the Solomon Islands, the inhumane conditions of captive dolphins in “entertainment” complexes, and the seedy, greedy side of the fishing industry. This book contains very graphic descriptions of cruelty and slaughter she witnessed. It’s stunning how intentionally cruel and craven humans can be sometimes. For good or bad, I’m too much a confirmed omnivore to say that it made me consider becoming a vegetarian, but I can say there were a lot of vegetarian meals eaten at our house this week. It definitely has me reconsidering our choices in seafood; I’ll be consulting www.seawatch.org before my next sushi binge for certain. (And that will probably be in the far distant future when I can scrub my brain from some of the images in it right now.)
The book is not all doom and gore. Interspersed among the more grisly chapters are respites that allow the reader to catch a breath while Ms. Casey takes us to investigate Minoan ruins or eavesdrop in on a new age "dolphin encounter" or assist with an ocean population count. (That last one isn't quite so happy, however, as you'll likely find yourself infuriated with the US Navy.)
I can’t say I exactly “enjoyed” the book because of some of the horrible things I learned, but I do think it was well worth my time and am glad I read it. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
February 24, 2016
This book is written by an activist who clearly made no attempt at understanding of dolphin natural history or socialization. She pontificates about dolphins' magical capacities, likening them to ethereal beings who can do no wrong. But ignores the fact that, quite frankly, dolphins are assholes- they are the brute squad of the seas and will rape and murder other dolphins, seals, sea otters-pretty much anything that can swim. They're sharks with GREAT PR agents. Yes, also incredibly intelligent and complex beings, who we still have a lot to learn from and deserve our respect for the predators that they are, but she lost me when she goes on about Joan Ocean's cult-like, magical dolphin witchcraft workshops. Legit science wouldn't touch that pyramid scheme with a 10' pole.
While the author condemns keeping dolphins in captivity, quickly overlooking (or perhaps making no attempt to understand) typical behavioral husbandry training; she at the same time glorifies canned 'wild' encounters of people harassing...er... "swimming" with wild dolphins. Chasing down wild Dolphins to swim with is not only not cool, but highly dangerous (dolphin trainers must pass swim tests to hold their breath for extended periods of time in the event they get pinned down) and in many places illegal (marine mammal protection act, people!).
Big thumbs down. Don't waste your time. Read Dolphin in the Mirror if you want to learn about dolphin intelligence.
While the author condemns keeping dolphins in captivity, quickly overlooking (or perhaps making no attempt to understand) typical behavioral husbandry training; she at the same time glorifies canned 'wild' encounters of people harassing...er... "swimming" with wild dolphins. Chasing down wild Dolphins to swim with is not only not cool, but highly dangerous (dolphin trainers must pass swim tests to hold their breath for extended periods of time in the event they get pinned down) and in many places illegal (marine mammal protection act, people!).
Big thumbs down. Don't waste your time. Read Dolphin in the Mirror if you want to learn about dolphin intelligence.
November 4, 2019
This was an interesting book, but the over emphasis on the "spiritual" side of Dolphins left a little to be desired. Susan Casey fell in love with Dolphins during a solitary swim. She then indulges in her passion by traveling the world to hang out with different dolphins.
The book covers interesting scientific facts about Dolphins from their brain size (larger than humans) to their amazing physiology which almost allows for regeneration and pain-free trauma. She also describes Dr. Lily's amazing research into Dolphin intelligence and echo location abilities.
She then also explore the role of Dolphins in culture, from the Chumash nation (early inhabitants of California) who saw the Dolphins as kindred spirits to the Japanese fetish for mass killing of dolphins.
An interesting book that slides too much into spirituality for my prefernce. But, still it was entertaining and informative. The science behind the Dolphin is quite interesting, now next time hopefully she will keep the hippy-dip spiritual stuff for another book.
The book covers interesting scientific facts about Dolphins from their brain size (larger than humans) to their amazing physiology which almost allows for regeneration and pain-free trauma. She also describes Dr. Lily's amazing research into Dolphin intelligence and echo location abilities.
She then also explore the role of Dolphins in culture, from the Chumash nation (early inhabitants of California) who saw the Dolphins as kindred spirits to the Japanese fetish for mass killing of dolphins.
An interesting book that slides too much into spirituality for my prefernce. But, still it was entertaining and informative. The science behind the Dolphin is quite interesting, now next time hopefully she will keep the hippy-dip spiritual stuff for another book.
August 13, 2025
One of my favourite reads of 2025 so far. Some tough to read passages (animal abuse), but very well told. This book is not just about cetaceans, but also about the people fascinated with them, exploiting them and studying them. A good mix of stories making this a very entertaining book. I will re-read this to annotate and dive in a bit deeper soon.
May 18, 2016
Oh boy. So many thoughts and feelings I don't even know where to start with this one right now. I'll come back to it tomorrow, maybe. Off to watch The Cove and continue to ball my eyes out at the injustice and cruelty of man.
September 16, 2015
I wasn’t sure how I should review this book, but since I found it in the natural history section I will review as such.
This book is fluff; it’s well written and occasionally engaging fluff but fluff nevertheless. Susan Casey makes it clear that she is not a scientist. To me, this does not excuse her from invoking words that she has clearly has no understanding of, such as evolution.
The way she argues a point is also unsettling. Anyone who got as far as her ramblings on the intelligence of dolphins could see where this was most obvious. She makes a statement, presents it as fact without any corroborating evidence, and it’s usually a small point that a fair number of people will agree with. From there she will use the, “then isn’t it possible?” stance. This specious way of arguing a point has no place in natural history.
I was less than impressed with the inclusion of Joan Ocean and her cult. This woman deserves no free advertising for her business.
If you’re actually interested in dolphins, this book should only be used as a reason to seek credible sources.
This book is fluff; it’s well written and occasionally engaging fluff but fluff nevertheless. Susan Casey makes it clear that she is not a scientist. To me, this does not excuse her from invoking words that she has clearly has no understanding of, such as evolution.
The way she argues a point is also unsettling. Anyone who got as far as her ramblings on the intelligence of dolphins could see where this was most obvious. She makes a statement, presents it as fact without any corroborating evidence, and it’s usually a small point that a fair number of people will agree with. From there she will use the, “then isn’t it possible?” stance. This specious way of arguing a point has no place in natural history.
I was less than impressed with the inclusion of Joan Ocean and her cult. This woman deserves no free advertising for her business.
If you’re actually interested in dolphins, this book should only be used as a reason to seek credible sources.
July 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. A lot of good information.
January 30, 2023
"We gedroegen ons alsof we goden waren, overal het lot van bepalend, maar dat was niet zo. We waren gewoon ongelooflijk dom."
Dit boek is echt een combinatie van leerzaam, confronterend, grappig en chaotisch... Wat wil je nog meer?
Dit boek is echt een combinatie van leerzaam, confronterend, grappig en chaotisch... Wat wil je nog meer?
July 4, 2021
Like POACHED by Rachel Nuwer and LEAVING THE WILD by Gavin Ehringer, VOICES IN THE OCEAN is a dynamic piece of nature writing in which our traveling author takes us along on a dizzying expedition to learn about animals and their relation to human society.
Humanity’s fascination with dolphins dates back millennia, and the experience and fates of cetaceans (dolphins and whales) has so long been intertwined with the whims and behavior of human beings, that we cannot truly talk about the animals without talking about us, too. I realize that some readers are disappointed that this isn’t a straight-up history of dolphin biology and natural behavior, but if we don’t take a hard look at how we’re behaving toward them and their habitats, there won’t be enough dolphins whose biology and natural behavior we can observe. So yes, parts of this book are sad--deeply so--and maddening, but human thoughtlessness and cruelty is as much a part of the dolphins’ story as how they migrate and communicate.
OCEAN takes us along as the author interacts with people and dolphins. From a Hawaiian New Age retreat whose members view the animals as supernatural healers to the “drive fisheries” of Taiji and the Solomon Islands where dolphins are simply things to slaughter and sell, from researchers and activists who are passionate about saving dolphins to employees and customers of some of the world's most infamous theme parks where cetaceans die almost as quickly as they are replaced—we encounter it all.
Taiji, Japan, has become one of the most environmentally infamous parts of the globe since its gruesome annual dolphin slaughter was exposed in the documentary “The Cove.” (In this practice, hunters herd entire pods of dolphins and small whales into an inlet, where marine park brokers from around the globe wait to buy the youngest and most attractive animals for tens of thousands of dollars, while the hunters brutally butcher the rest. It’s a lucrative business propped up by everyone from the city government to the entertainment industry to organized crime.)
We take a gruesome tour of the Taiji Whale Museum, which simultaneously offers patrons a marine animal circus show alongside macabre anatomical curiosities collected in the hunts and snack bars offering dolphin and whale meat. However, before we express righteous indignation, let us consider other places that both present animals as cute souvenirs while celebrating their exploitation in our own society—do we support them? Isn’t that par for the course at every petting farm and county fair in the Western world—let Junior pat an adorable piglet while biting into a hot dog?
When faced with this dichotomy, at one point the text attempts to rationalize the killing of non-cetacean animals for food by saying it “must” be done swiftly, humanely, with "respect and gratitude," etc. etc. This would make anyone who has spent even half an hour researching the factory-farm sources of the vast majority of the world's meat supply to shake their heads with a rueful laugh. Indeed, it becomes more and more clear that the shameful treatment of dolphins and whales isn’t the ultimate problem; it’s simply another symptom of the way that much of humanity has chosen to behave toward the rest of sentient life on this planet.
However, the book does go on to explore the ruinous effects of the industrial fishing trawlers that are the source of much of the world’s seafood. As bad as plastic straws are, fishing fleets remain the greatest source of plastic waste in the oceans, and factory-style fisheries batter wildlife and ecosystems from multiple angles—from drowning them in nets to taking away their food supplies. I think it was wise to simply state the facts without drawing conclusions, and let readers come to their own (hopefully ocean animal-friendly) decisions regarding their dietary choices. The same goes for dolphin theme parks and swim-with facilities.
VOICES IN THE OCEAN is a memorable and well-written book that plunges readers into the world of dolphins and our relationship with them. Readers will close the book feeling educated and even upset, but also empowered.
Humanity’s fascination with dolphins dates back millennia, and the experience and fates of cetaceans (dolphins and whales) has so long been intertwined with the whims and behavior of human beings, that we cannot truly talk about the animals without talking about us, too. I realize that some readers are disappointed that this isn’t a straight-up history of dolphin biology and natural behavior, but if we don’t take a hard look at how we’re behaving toward them and their habitats, there won’t be enough dolphins whose biology and natural behavior we can observe. So yes, parts of this book are sad--deeply so--and maddening, but human thoughtlessness and cruelty is as much a part of the dolphins’ story as how they migrate and communicate.
OCEAN takes us along as the author interacts with people and dolphins. From a Hawaiian New Age retreat whose members view the animals as supernatural healers to the “drive fisheries” of Taiji and the Solomon Islands where dolphins are simply things to slaughter and sell, from researchers and activists who are passionate about saving dolphins to employees and customers of some of the world's most infamous theme parks where cetaceans die almost as quickly as they are replaced—we encounter it all.
Taiji, Japan, has become one of the most environmentally infamous parts of the globe since its gruesome annual dolphin slaughter was exposed in the documentary “The Cove.” (In this practice, hunters herd entire pods of dolphins and small whales into an inlet, where marine park brokers from around the globe wait to buy the youngest and most attractive animals for tens of thousands of dollars, while the hunters brutally butcher the rest. It’s a lucrative business propped up by everyone from the city government to the entertainment industry to organized crime.)
We take a gruesome tour of the Taiji Whale Museum, which simultaneously offers patrons a marine animal circus show alongside macabre anatomical curiosities collected in the hunts and snack bars offering dolphin and whale meat. However, before we express righteous indignation, let us consider other places that both present animals as cute souvenirs while celebrating their exploitation in our own society—do we support them? Isn’t that par for the course at every petting farm and county fair in the Western world—let Junior pat an adorable piglet while biting into a hot dog?
When faced with this dichotomy, at one point the text attempts to rationalize the killing of non-cetacean animals for food by saying it “must” be done swiftly, humanely, with "respect and gratitude," etc. etc. This would make anyone who has spent even half an hour researching the factory-farm sources of the vast majority of the world's meat supply to shake their heads with a rueful laugh. Indeed, it becomes more and more clear that the shameful treatment of dolphins and whales isn’t the ultimate problem; it’s simply another symptom of the way that much of humanity has chosen to behave toward the rest of sentient life on this planet.
However, the book does go on to explore the ruinous effects of the industrial fishing trawlers that are the source of much of the world’s seafood. As bad as plastic straws are, fishing fleets remain the greatest source of plastic waste in the oceans, and factory-style fisheries batter wildlife and ecosystems from multiple angles—from drowning them in nets to taking away their food supplies. I think it was wise to simply state the facts without drawing conclusions, and let readers come to their own (hopefully ocean animal-friendly) decisions regarding their dietary choices. The same goes for dolphin theme parks and swim-with facilities.
VOICES IN THE OCEAN is a memorable and well-written book that plunges readers into the world of dolphins and our relationship with them. Readers will close the book feeling educated and even upset, but also empowered.
March 10, 2021
Susan Casey's Voices in the Ocean takes you on lots of adventures involving dolphins and other cetaceans. Exciting, interesting, and sad reading, so prepare yourself.
Without giving away to many spoilers, but to entice you into reading, you should know:
The upside of the book is that there is a woman in Hawaii who swims with the spinner dolphins there. She has a business inviting others to do so and believes that dolphins have a connection to a greater world than we know. According to the author, swimming with the dolphins is a unique and transcendent experience.
The ancient Minoans, a civilization destroyed by a volcano thousands of years ago, revered dolphins. Only a small portion of their city has been excavated due to Greece's economic troubles but archeologists found astounding works of art that includes dolphin representations.
The dolphins high intelligence, their language, and society as a whole is discussed.
The downside is the presence of chemicals in the oceans that damage the health of all sea creatures both the dolphins and those they feed on to survive.
The US Navy and other nations use of sonar disrupts the dolphin and cetaceans means of communication and causes paid.
In this modern day and age, there is a village in the Solomon Islands that uses dolphin teeth as a medium of exchange. Periodically, they herd dolphins into a cove and slaughter them.
Then there is the whole issue of keeping them captive in marine parks and worse.
Interestingly, the man who trained Flipper for the TV show has become a zealous advocate for the health and well being of dolphins and other large sea creatures. His efforts are their behalf take him to dangerous places and exciting to read.
Well written and very enjoyable.
Without giving away to many spoilers, but to entice you into reading, you should know:
The upside of the book is that there is a woman in Hawaii who swims with the spinner dolphins there. She has a business inviting others to do so and believes that dolphins have a connection to a greater world than we know. According to the author, swimming with the dolphins is a unique and transcendent experience.
The ancient Minoans, a civilization destroyed by a volcano thousands of years ago, revered dolphins. Only a small portion of their city has been excavated due to Greece's economic troubles but archeologists found astounding works of art that includes dolphin representations.
The dolphins high intelligence, their language, and society as a whole is discussed.
The downside is the presence of chemicals in the oceans that damage the health of all sea creatures both the dolphins and those they feed on to survive.
The US Navy and other nations use of sonar disrupts the dolphin and cetaceans means of communication and causes paid.
In this modern day and age, there is a village in the Solomon Islands that uses dolphin teeth as a medium of exchange. Periodically, they herd dolphins into a cove and slaughter them.
Then there is the whole issue of keeping them captive in marine parks and worse.
Interestingly, the man who trained Flipper for the TV show has become a zealous advocate for the health and well being of dolphins and other large sea creatures. His efforts are their behalf take him to dangerous places and exciting to read.
Well written and very enjoyable.
July 17, 2019
“How do you think humans got so cruel?” I asked Makili. He gazed at the ocean, then back at Turner and me. “We forgot,” he said, letting the words linger. “We forgot our responsibility. And we forgot that we are as equal as any living thing within the chain. There’s no hierarchy in this. Nah. We are part of the same family: living things. All the rest of it is just totally fucking bullshit.”
Dolphins have to be the coolest creatures, on earth and that includes human beings. Dolphins are not vicious, dishonest, vindictive or blood-thirsty. They are smart, family orientated and generally kind. We kill them and exploit them. This is what we do.
I really enjoyed Casey's book, The Wave, about monster waves and the surfer community. In this one, she sets her sights on dolphins and other sea mammals, like killer whales, which are also kick-ass. She traveled thousands of miles, to research, protest and swim with these blissful creatures. She also connected with many fine people, along the way, who have made it their life mission, to protect these wonderful animals.
Fair warning- This book is not for the faint of heart. Cruelty abounds here and Casey hammers it home, like a pile-driver. She does not mince words, but if you can stomach it, it is a very well-written, heartfelt look at nature's best. 4.5 stars
**Also, the audiobook is excellent. Just sayin'...
Dolphins have to be the coolest creatures, on earth and that includes human beings. Dolphins are not vicious, dishonest, vindictive or blood-thirsty. They are smart, family orientated and generally kind. We kill them and exploit them. This is what we do.
I really enjoyed Casey's book, The Wave, about monster waves and the surfer community. In this one, she sets her sights on dolphins and other sea mammals, like killer whales, which are also kick-ass. She traveled thousands of miles, to research, protest and swim with these blissful creatures. She also connected with many fine people, along the way, who have made it their life mission, to protect these wonderful animals.
Fair warning- This book is not for the faint of heart. Cruelty abounds here and Casey hammers it home, like a pile-driver. She does not mince words, but if you can stomach it, it is a very well-written, heartfelt look at nature's best. 4.5 stars
**Also, the audiobook is excellent. Just sayin'...
May 7, 2016
Well, this stoked my misanthropy as much as any book ever has (which is saying something). Humans are a neverending nightmare; there's nothing/noone we won't kill, maim, eat, abduct, confine, torture, militarize, and pollute for money, for "pleasure," for "entertainment." All the other species must wish they could wake up and have us gone (except maybe some of the dogs--they love us, inexplicably.) As a species we plumb the depths of cruelty.
And I love this book for not shying away from any of that, and for loving dolphins obsessively but also knowing that we aren't just talking about dolphins when we talk about dolphins; Casey tears down the dusty curtains of our speciesism and forces us to try out a new vision, one in which all non-human animals exist for their own terms and not for the whims of humans. To emphasize: This book isn't a polemic. I think Casey does a good job tracing her journey and talking to people with different perspectives and being transparent about her own evolving ideas. It definitely fell upon me like a lightning bolt, and suspect it would also do this for other people with hearts for cetaceans.
TL;DR: Boycott SeaWorld. Save the cetaceans. Channel the Minoans. #govegan
And I love this book for not shying away from any of that, and for loving dolphins obsessively but also knowing that we aren't just talking about dolphins when we talk about dolphins; Casey tears down the dusty curtains of our speciesism and forces us to try out a new vision, one in which all non-human animals exist for their own terms and not for the whims of humans. To emphasize: This book isn't a polemic. I think Casey does a good job tracing her journey and talking to people with different perspectives and being transparent about her own evolving ideas. It definitely fell upon me like a lightning bolt, and suspect it would also do this for other people with hearts for cetaceans.
TL;DR: Boycott SeaWorld. Save the cetaceans. Channel the Minoans. #govegan
July 4, 2019
3.5* An interesting overview of human relationship, or rather fascination with dolphins, albeit a bit chaotic with its diverse chapters. It would certainly benefit from less New Age hokum. The journalism is top-notch though.
December 17, 2021
Wat heb ik nou gelezen? Dat is de vraag die bij mij opkomt nadat ik zojuist het boek uitlas.
Een boek waarin een liefhebber en activist verhaalt over dolfijnen en soortgenoten. En over hun relatie tot mensen. Het boek gaat alle kanten op. Het is soms informatief, dan schieten we de new age hoek in om vervolgens de gruwelijke onderzoeken op deze dieren te beschrijven. En dan door te gaan naar massa afslachting, de handel in dolfijnen en Orka's. Via overtuigingen op het gebied van buitenaards leven neemt de schrijver je ook nog mee naar de impact van de marine op het zeeleven en met als toetje een reisgids naar Griekenland.
Wat is nou de boodschap van de schrijver? Ik kan er slechts naar gissen.
Sommige delen waren interessant, andere ronduit vreemd.
Een boek waarin een liefhebber en activist verhaalt over dolfijnen en soortgenoten. En over hun relatie tot mensen. Het boek gaat alle kanten op. Het is soms informatief, dan schieten we de new age hoek in om vervolgens de gruwelijke onderzoeken op deze dieren te beschrijven. En dan door te gaan naar massa afslachting, de handel in dolfijnen en Orka's. Via overtuigingen op het gebied van buitenaards leven neemt de schrijver je ook nog mee naar de impact van de marine op het zeeleven en met als toetje een reisgids naar Griekenland.
Wat is nou de boodschap van de schrijver? Ik kan er slechts naar gissen.
Sommige delen waren interessant, andere ronduit vreemd.
November 23, 2021
Als je de achterkant van het boek leest, verwacht je een redelijk wetenschappelijk boek, maar er staan een paar dingen in die best vaag zijn. Oké echt...eigenlijk heel vaag (iets met dolfijnen als ruimtewezens, een wetenschapper waar bewonderend over wordt gesproken die tegelijkertijd dolfijnen aan de drugs helpt, op gruwelijke wijze opensnijdt en een vrouw samen laat wonen met een dolfijn in een onderwaterhuis en seks laat hebben met het dier. Echt 0_0. Vervolgens blijft de auteur het hele boek door deze wetenschapper quoten). Helaas staan die stukken ook meteen veel in het begin van het boek en dat geeft gewoon een vervormde indruk. En dat is jammer, want het is ook een goed, interessant en belangrijk boek.
Het gaat namelijk juist over alle misstanden die er in de wereld zijn rond dolfijnen: verschrikkelijke slachtingen, illegale handel tussen zeedierenparken. Veel info over de geschiedenis van de relatie tussen mens en dolfijn en ook raak je onder de indruk van hun intelligentie en de ijzersterke relaties die er tussen dieren bestaan. Het is een boek dat een prachtig pleidooi zou kunnen zijn voor de bescherming van dolfijnen.
Ik zou dus zeggen: als je interesse hebt voor dolfijnen, lees dit boek en laat je door de vage stukjes tussendoor niet tegenouden. Maar tegelijkertijd: door die vaagheid blijft het bij mij toch bij drie sterren. En dat had met iets meer editen, een stuk hoger kunnen zijn.
Het gaat namelijk juist over alle misstanden die er in de wereld zijn rond dolfijnen: verschrikkelijke slachtingen, illegale handel tussen zeedierenparken. Veel info over de geschiedenis van de relatie tussen mens en dolfijn en ook raak je onder de indruk van hun intelligentie en de ijzersterke relaties die er tussen dieren bestaan. Het is een boek dat een prachtig pleidooi zou kunnen zijn voor de bescherming van dolfijnen.
Ik zou dus zeggen: als je interesse hebt voor dolfijnen, lees dit boek en laat je door de vage stukjes tussendoor niet tegenouden. Maar tegelijkertijd: door die vaagheid blijft het bij mij toch bij drie sterren. En dat had met iets meer editen, een stuk hoger kunnen zijn.
December 18, 2015
Ever since I can recall, I have loved dolphins. This is something my friends and family know about me (just recently my mother gave me a ring with a dolphin on it). Casey has sealed the deal with why dolphins are our elders. Their brains are intricate webs of understanding. They stay in pods and develop elaborate relationships within their families. Dolphins use tools, they grieve, they frolic, they are curious. Dolphins engage with their world in ways we can't even begin to fathom.
Man's hubris has taken a toll on our friends in the ocean. These effects may be beyond repair. This truly breaks my heart. I want the world to be a better place for my girls and I fear we have ravaged the ocean to the point of no return. There are chapters that highlight man's brutality and ignorance in ways that are difficult for me to take in.
But Casey gives us the other side of humanity as well. The cultures that celebrate the dolphin; the men and women that put themselves in the line of fire for all cetaceans' welfare; the scientists that are working to unravel the ways dolphins (and other cetaceans) interact with the world. This gives me hope.
Man's hubris has taken a toll on our friends in the ocean. These effects may be beyond repair. This truly breaks my heart. I want the world to be a better place for my girls and I fear we have ravaged the ocean to the point of no return. There are chapters that highlight man's brutality and ignorance in ways that are difficult for me to take in.
But Casey gives us the other side of humanity as well. The cultures that celebrate the dolphin; the men and women that put themselves in the line of fire for all cetaceans' welfare; the scientists that are working to unravel the ways dolphins (and other cetaceans) interact with the world. This gives me hope.
November 4, 2016
Much as I liked this book, I wanted to like it better. As one who in a kayak has frequently “hung out” with bottlenose dolphins, I was hoping to understand these magnificent creatures better, and I did not get nearly as much of that as I hoped for. Much as I admire the author’s actual forays into the cetacean element, what I got from the “journey” of the title, mostly, is the author hopping a plane to go somewhere and better record man’s inhumanity to these supremely sentient beings, or—in startling contrast—their quasi-deification by New Age folks—interview, after interview, followed by interview ... not of cetacean, but of man. Obviously—this is the inescapable and underlying irony driven like a stake through the heart of this book—no human can really interview a dolphin ... so the voices of the title are ipso facto unheard. Let me be clear: I object not so much to having to absorb the catastrophic, sad depravity of human slaughterers, or the “woo-woo” conventions in Hawaii, as to the ultimate focus on man. This is less a book about “voices” in oceans, than an account of a totally failed communication—when man even deigns to listen.
June 23, 2017
I read this book so you don't have to!
I really enjoyed Ms. Casey's book "The Devil's Teeth," so I was looking forward to reading this one. I would even say I was predisposed to enjoy it because of the other book of hers I had read.
I hated this book. From its two chapters devoted to a woman who believes dolphins have underwater portals to communicate with aliens/travel to alien worlds (nearly 20% of the book!), to its wild speculations about Minoan civilization, this book is light on science (to the point where it is almost non-existent) and heavy on the new age/hippie view of dolphins. It's too bad, because I was really looking forward to learning more about these smart and fascinating creatures. Add in a healthy dose of anti-military sentiment (when it would have been easy to at least attempt to get an opposing viewpoint - which she did not appear to do, at least from what I read), and there is nothing to recommend this book. If anything, I feel sorry for the dolphins - if this is the sort of book and the type of people who are advocating for them, they are in serious trouble.
I really enjoyed Ms. Casey's book "The Devil's Teeth," so I was looking forward to reading this one. I would even say I was predisposed to enjoy it because of the other book of hers I had read.
I hated this book. From its two chapters devoted to a woman who believes dolphins have underwater portals to communicate with aliens/travel to alien worlds (nearly 20% of the book!), to its wild speculations about Minoan civilization, this book is light on science (to the point where it is almost non-existent) and heavy on the new age/hippie view of dolphins. It's too bad, because I was really looking forward to learning more about these smart and fascinating creatures. Add in a healthy dose of anti-military sentiment (when it would have been easy to at least attempt to get an opposing viewpoint - which she did not appear to do, at least from what I read), and there is nothing to recommend this book. If anything, I feel sorry for the dolphins - if this is the sort of book and the type of people who are advocating for them, they are in serious trouble.
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