Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival

by Carl Safina

"One of the most delightful natural history studies in decades." — The Boston Globe

Eye of the Albatross takes us soaring to locales where whales, sea turtles, penguins, and shearwaters flourish in their own quotidian rhythms. Carl Safina's guide and inspiration is an albatross he calls Amelia, whose life and far-flung flights he describes in fascinating detail. Interwoven with recollections of whalers and famous explorers, Eye of the Albatross probes the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between man and marine life. Safina's perceptive and authoritative portrait results in a transforming ride to the ends of the Earth for the reader, as well as an eye-opening look at the health of our oceans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Natural History, Animals, Birds, Environmental Science

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Carl Safina’s work has been recognized with MacArthur, Pew, and Guggenheim Fellowships, and his writing has won Orion, Lannan, and National Academies literary awards and the John Burroughs, James Beard, and George Rabb medals. He has a PhD in ecology from Rutgers University. Safina is the inaugural holder of the endowed chair for nature and humanity at Stony Brook University, where he co-chairs the steering committee of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and is founding president of the not-for-profit organization, The Safina Center. He hosted the 10-part PBS series Saving the Ocean with Carl Safina. His writing appears in The New York Times, Audubon, Orion, and other periodicals and on the Web at National Geographic News and Views, Huffington Post, and CNN.com.

He lives on Long Island, New York with his wife Patricia, the two best beach-running dogs in the world, some chickens, a couple of parrots, and Frankie the kingsnake.

Reviews

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, a really interesting book. I wish there was a bit more in Amelia and her journeys. But I did find the little “side quests” to be interesting to hear about and gain perspective on different types of research and impacts on the environment.

If you have any interest in ecology/biology (especially marine biology), then I’d highly recommend. It’s well written and explored thought provoking topics.

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Carl Safina was What Animals Think and Feel and it instantly made me fall in love with his writing style. I immediately put all his books on my amazon waiting list and Im buying them one by one.

I was worried my hopes would be too high and maybe the first book was his best and the rest would disappoint me, but YAY that didn't happen!

This book revolved around marine conservation and his passion shone through just like his other work. He has a beautiful writing style that feels more like a novel.

He puts so much time and effort into doing proper research and publishing quality work, he's easily in my top three non fiction authors, I think his books could be given to people who think that non fiction is dry and boring and get them to change their mind.

From birds to ocean health, this book covers a wide variety of conservation and wildlife topics which kept things interesting and faster paced.

I can't wait to get the next book on my list, I had no interest or draw to sea birds before this, and had given the Albatross little thought before reading this book. It's amazing how very quickly I got sucked into the plight of the Albatross.

http://weatherwaxreport.blog

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of Covid19, this book took me to the Leeward Islands of Hawaii, and a window into the life of a field biologist. The story of Amelia, a GPS tagged albatross, her mate and her chick will be an awe-inspiring surprise to those unaware. Their story is interspersed with natural history lessons of the area, other wildlife, like monk seals, and a past that humans have wrought, both good and bad. I loved Carl Safina's writing and research, maps and pictures; it just was a little long for me - the reason for the four stars.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about the unusual and remote locations that Safina was able to visit -- it’s hard to imagine some of those places and the abundance of birds. I enjoyed googling for more photos and videos of the places he mentioned. Sometimes he wandered a bit from the topic of albatrosses and sea birds, but it just emphasizes the interconnectedness of everything (sharks, turtles), and I really appreciate his desire to tell all the sides of the stories – getting to know fishermen and their livelihoods as well – that portion reminded me of what he did in his turtle book.

I also really appreciate some of his reflections on life in general – I’m sure those sorts of extreme, beautiful, wild places allow you to think more reflectively. “To imagine being elsewhere is part of being human – and uniquely enables human beings to both envision the future and squander the moment.”

[Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed every bit of this book. It was told as if Carl Safina was sitting down with you and just sharing a conversation. Full of facts and reflections on life. It is intimidating at first because he crams a lot of words into chapters and pages. But I loved it. This book wasn't only about albatrosses but also followed other species facing challenges in today's increasing (human) populated world and our resulting trash: Hawaiian Monk Seals, Tiger Sharks, Sablefish, and more.

This book was published in 2002. It seems like it was brutally honest for the time - plastic toothbrushes and beach balls were already a common occurrence and interference of these shore animals at that point. I'd be interested - and probably heartbroken - to know what life is like for these species today at seventeen years later.

[Polina Zenevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Восхитительно
Прочла по рекомендации и продолжу советовать всем.
Альбатросы, черепахи, акулы, военные базы, джентльменская стрельба - захватывающий микс биологии, истории и легкой безнадёги (потому что люди мудаки, всех уничтожают, умирание и все такое)
Несмотря ни на что, безумно вдохновляющая и запоминающаяся

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern Journalism meets North Pacific Albatross by the author of "Voyage of the Turtle"
Safina is an optimist.
I read this while sailing the Southern Sea looking at Albatross daily and visiting their nesting sites in The Falklands and on South Georgia Island.
My copy now resides in the library of "The Expedition"

[Sophie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical writing and moving accounts of the natural world, as is usual of Carl Safina’s books. I think the shark and turtle detours could have been skipped or shortened, but they were interesting as well. I was also lucky enough to see my first albatross while reading this book!

[Gwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is some of the best nature writing I have ever encountered. Carl Safina explores issues of marine conservation and the history of human use of marine resources by following the travels of a single albatross named Amelia. As she flies across the Pacific, feeding her chick and herself, Safina recounts the ecological atrocities committed by humans in their search for albatross eggs and feathers; examines how modern fishing practices still threaten marine animals and what steps are being taken to protect them; and introduces us to a world of marine researchers and the research they conduct. Although not fast-paced by anyone's standards, Safina's prose is beautiful and compelling:

“A full silver moon burns its cool firefly light through the flickering clouds above. Far, far below, Sablefish swim in frigid darkness. We send the killing gear to take them.” - page 211

His moving accounts of the losses these animals have suffered--and the steps humans are taking to now help rather than harm them--will touch your heart and possibly bring tears to your eyes. A must-read for anyone who enjoys nature writing.

[David Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carl Safina is an gifted writer who has produced a sweeping and engaging book about the Pacific Ocean ecosystem focused on seabirds and fish. His "guide" and inspiration is Amelia, a hardworking parent Laysan Albatross wearing a state-of-the-art satellite tracking transmitter. Safina's subtitle, ("Visions of Hope and Survival"), however, is misleading, because this book is overwhelmingly depressing, and the ecological and economic conditions he described in 2002 have only become more dire in the intervening 17 years. The book details the decimation of seabird colonies on the most remote islands on earth, the depletion of fish stocks in the ocean, and ubiquitous ocean pollution. Admittedly, some seabird populations have rebounded from near extinction, but these animals face challenges for which they are ill-equipped to contend. Safina's account of an adult albatross attempting unsuccessfully to regurgitate a piece of a green plastic toothbrush while trying to feed its chick is particularly poignant. If this book doesn't make a strong case for Homo sapiens' quick demise, no book will.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you wanted to know about albatross. Carl Safina's own passion for these amazing creatures infuses the entire book, and the science part reads like a page turner. He brings the reader into the strange and remote world of Northwest Hawaiian Islands conservation work and doesn't let us go until we have seen everything, including the trash on the beach and the albatross chicks dead on their nest because they have too much plastic in their gut. For anyone planning to visit Oahu or Kauai--and everyone that lives on those islands--this should be required reading. (This is because people lucky enough to be on Oahu and Kauai in the winter can see albatross nesting.)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of natural history is definitely a stand-out for 2014 reading. Although the main topic is albatrosses, the book ranges over a broader area--ocean health, sharks, sea turtles, ocean fishing. Not only does Safina convey a lot of information, but also his language is poetic and insightful. I read this for my bird club book club, and there was one passage about bliss and the necessity of stress that three of the eight of us had marked as especially important. I'd like to read more of Safina's work.

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

The background information about albatrosses, how they came to be named, and their natural history, was superb. The stories of human cruelty are relentless and heartbreaking, and yet seem necessary. I am a much deeper advocate for albatrosses as a result of reading this book.

The author showed bits of chauvinism at times in descriptions of his female colleagues.

[Tibby]

Carl Safina and Rachel Carson are the two best nature writers out there...okay I haven't read many more nature writers, but wow are they both good. Here Safina is looking at bird populations, particularly albatross populations in the Pacific. He begins with discussing their history, their life, and why they matter. Not for the faint of heart or those who find animal cruelty hard to stomach. Albatrosses and seabird more broadly have gotten the worst of human interaction and Safina talks about it all.

As with Song for the Blue Ocean: Encounters Along the World's Coasts and Beneath the Seas, Eye of Albatross follows Safina on his time spent with experts on the subject he is discussing. Here that is a group of scientists on a remote Pacific island where albatrosses nest and a fisherman in Alaska who is working on better fishing practices that will kill no or few birds each fishing season. While discussing albatrosses Safina also dives into turtles, fishing, tuna, sharks, and other types of birds weaving the stories and science of all these creatures together demonstrating how everything is connected.

The book was written 20 years ago and I would be curious to know what he thinks of these various populations now. Safina is often hopeful in the face of a lot of death and destruction and I wonder if he still feels so. I know he has written many other books since and I hope to read those as well, but I would love an updated foreword to this book and Song for the Blue Ocean.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly eye-opening about albatrosses. For instance, the incredible feats of navigation and endurance they achieve to feed themselves and sustain their chicks.) Safina is also thought-provoking and eloquent: “I am impressed anew by... how much the harshness that challenges life is what causes the beauty. Birds fly because they must escape predators and search for food. Trees grow skyward because they compete fiercely with other trees for light. Living things need something to push off of. Each of us needs challenges to give us the right shape.” There were also a few wince-making bits (the rather patronizing way he describes the Canadian natural history writer for one). However, his curiosity about the stories of the people he encountered was also one of the pleasures of the book.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the author gave thorough (sometimes too many) descriptions of all the animals he mentioned and explained the history of what humans have done to them. I also loved how he described what actual scientists are studying and doing on these remote islands. I loved the way he wrote this book: both giving rich descriptions and context on the past and research surrounding different animals while relating them to humanity.

The book definitely opened my eyes to what exists far from away from humans but are still affected by us ie what affects albatrosses also affects humans. Also the book made me try to imagine everything in nature he described and made me want to experience it for myself.

[Graeme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good commentary on the Albatross and other wildlife. A good mix of sadness as the author details the cost of human interaction with the albatross, and hope as the author tell stories of conservation success. I found this well written and easy to get involved in the daily life of the birds at the nesting grounds as the story captured the drama of the early life of the birds. Its also a reality check when he tells of the survival rates of different species young and the level needed to sustain the population. Some interesting facts are shared too which adds to the depth of the book.
A book I'm glad I read.

[Salome12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Потрясающая, увлекательно написанная книга об экосистеме мирового океана и антропогенном влиянии на неё. Местами доходящая до слëз, местами заставляющая по-детски радоваться чуду жизни вместе с автором.

Карл Сафина отправляется на атоллы Гавайских островов изучать вместе с морскими биологами птиц, тюленей, черепах, акул, исследовать причины из болезней и сокращения популяций, а так же летит к побережью Аляски - принимать участие в рыболовном промысле. В рассказе о морских видах автор обращается истории, географии, метеорологии, задаёт пронзительные вопросы... Очень живое, увлекательное, познавательное повествование.

Если бы каждый человек прочитал этот труд....

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long difficult book about connections: between bird and bird, bird and shark, people and bird. The vast Pacific Ocean is the broad template of this story; the Northwest Hawaiian Islands the stage. The connections that go back many millions of years have been disrupted by the coming of man. The destruction wrought is heartbreaking; we are all a party to this sad story. The book highlights those, few, eccentric souls who are trying to right these wrongs by studying and documenting breeding birds, sharks, turtles, endangered seals, etc. The outcome is far from clear. A lot of poetry here.

[Jule · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative and well written book about these incredible seabirds. He love and wonder of nature shines through. The cruelty that man has inflicted on these animals is breathtakingly horrific. Overall very good but I felt that I had absorbed the best of the book in the first 75% and then it seemed a bit repetitious. I definitely intend to read his other books.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though sometimes it dragged on, Safina really does a great job at reiterating his philosophies. I really enjoyed the personification of the albatross and just how information-driven it was, yet, I felt as though I was reading a story rather than a nonfiction science novel.

[Vaidya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Slow and meditative, and at the same time depressing when you have to read about the sheer number of deaths and also all that garbage that makes its way to the farthest reaches of the oceans.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important book in the context of the times (drawing attention to the plight of an endangered species in a changing environment), but heavy anthropomorphism of the albatross detracts from both the narrative and the scientific information.

[Marianne Mersereau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book, especially for all of the bird nerds out there! Along with stories about the incredible lives of the albatross, the author also discusses a variety of other ocean animals including sea turtles and sharks.

[Jeanne Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

This look will completely change your point of view of the oceans, the fish that live in it, and the birds that live off of the food the oceans provide. A delicate balance of life that should not be mistreated or taken for granted. A must read!

[Dylan Bedortha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little biased because I LOVE albatrosses but this book covered a lot of ground. I enjoyed the different perspectives that were discussed, all centered around the albatross. I really liked Carl’s writing style, writing factually but also getting into the beauty and spirit of the natural world.

[Stephen Orth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book. The language is as magical as the places the author visits. And his clear-eyed view of what a sentimentalist might call progress is refreshing. Loved it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Utterly inspiring.

[Betsey Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but

There are so very many typos and proofreading errors in the ebook, I couldn't really immerse myself in the story.

[Jess Esposito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic read if you love seabirds as much as I do <3