To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
In 1982, Rachel Smolker turned her lifetime fascination with dolphins into a groundbreaking research project. Frustrated by the limitations of observing dolphins in captivity, she moved to Monkey Mia, a remote beach on the west coast of Australia where "tame" wild dolphins regularly interact with humans. Gradually, Smolker and a team of fellow scientists extended the human-dolphin community to encompass dolphins that did not come toward the shore. By 1990 they could recognise and chart the behaviour of more than 250 individuals. Smolker's highly engaging chronicle of her time with the dolphins of Monkey Mia unravels much of the mystery surrounding these appealing creatures. It offers an up-close look at their society and the individuals that inhabit it. From the intriguing differences between the sexes to the nature of mother-infant relationships, to the wide repertoire of sounds used for social communication, the author reveals the inner workings of dolphin life. She profiles single dolphins and shows them to have personalities ranging from the playful to the moody to downright silly.
Current residence: Vermont, USA.; Qualifications (including significant previous publications): Rachel Smolker has participated in the study of dolphins in Hawaii and the Bahamas, as well as studying whales in British Columbia and New Zealand. In 1982 she co-founded the Monkey Mia dolphin project on a remote beach in Western Australia. She is currently a research associate at the University of Vermont and at the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780285636101 |
| ISBN 10 | 0285636103 |
| Title | To Touch a Wild Dolphin |
| Author | Rachel Smolker |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Profile Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2001-06-28 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |