For Immediate Release                                                                                                                              

Sara Sgarlat, Publicity Director
434-296-2772 ext.49
ssgarlat@hrpub.com
                        
                                                 
                                                                                                                                                    

Millions fell in love with orcas (also known as killer whales) while watching the Free Willy movies, and each year, millions more stream into marine parks—where orcas invariably steal the show.

     Scientists are just as fascinated by orcas. They know, for example, that orcas are extremely intelligent and consciously communicate with each other using a complex language. But because these amazing animals spend 95% of their time underwater, they remain fundamentally mysterious to researchers.

     In Communicating with Orcas; The Whales’ Perspective, whale naturalist and animal communicator Mary Getten picks up where other researchers leave off. In 1991, Getten began to study the J-Pod, a family of whales that live in the waters off Washington State. In searching for a way to follow the whales more closely, she came to believe that whales use direct telepathic communication among themselves, and are also capable of communicating in this way with humans. Using the remarkable abilities she developed in tandem with her scientific training, she and a colleague were able to have lengthy conversations with “Granny,” the matriarch of J-Pod, who provided answers to numerous whale mysteries including how whales feed and mate, what they think about their environment and interactions with humans, and how they feel about whales kept in captivity.

     Communicating with Orcas is packed with scientific knowledge, true stories of Mary’s encounters with J pod in the wild and direct dialog from the whales themselves.  But in addition to providing unprecedented information about orca life, Communicating with Orcas also conveys the wonder of realizing that animals are thinking, feeling beings just like humans, a message that has been confirmed and popularized in Temple Grandin’s bestseller Animals in Translation. Communicating with Orcas is the captivating story of an encounter between two open-minded, seeking women with a wise elder who calls them her daughters, even when she is describing the horrendous captures of orcas during the 60’s and 70’s. It is a moving description of a close family group, in which orca children never ever leave their mothers, and in which all members travel, work, eat, play and even sleep as a family.  And it is a stirring, heartfelt plea from Granny herself to people everywhere, to understand and respect another way of life--the orca way. 

     Mary Getten has studied and worked with marine animals since 1987 and continues to serve as a naturalist and guide on whale-watching expeditions. In Communicating with Orcas, she leads us on an expedition like no other—a journey into the hearts and minds of the whales.

April 2006 • Body Mind Spirit / Animals • ISBN 1-57174-466-5 • Trade paper • $15.95