Humpback Highway: Diving Into the Mysterious World of Whales

by Vanessa Pirotta

I entered the water quietly and saw two humpback whales sleeping diagonally in the distance. Two school buses just hanging in space…

Acclaimed wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta has been mugged by whales, touched by a baby whale and covered in whale snot. In Humpback Highway, Pirotta dives beneath the surface to reveal the mysterious world of humpback whales — from their life cycle and the challenges humans present to these marine giants to why whale snot and poo are important for us and the ocean. Plus the cutting-edge new technologies (including tagging whales so that they communicate with satellites) that allow us to see where they swim, listen to them talk and even spy on them underwater.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Science

202 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2024

Reviews

[Rowan MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Vanessa Pirotta is a wildlife scientist who has worked extensively with whales. I first discovered her work during a TV segment and was captivated by her enthusiasm for our marine life. Thankfully, that same passion fills these pages!

“I entered the water quietly and saw two humpback whales sleeping diagonally in the distance. Two school buses just hanging in space.”

Vanessa makes learning science accessible to all. There are breakout boxes in each chapter filled with facts. I found these quite interesting; a great way to learn and retain information. Humpback Highway is a quick read that doesn’t waste time delving into the world of whales. With 40,000 humpbacks traveling up and down Australia’s east coast, that’s a lot of whales! From migration and diets, to reproduction and conservation, she covers a wide range of topics.

You can tell Vanessa is passionate about educating others. I particularly enjoyed her firsthand stories of working in the field and encountering whales up close. It was also fascinating to learn about Migaloo, the famed white humpback.

“Observing well-known and distinctive whales like Migaloo shows us that humpback whales sometimes choose to hang out with the same friends across different years.”

Other standout chapters included those on reproduction, ocean hazards and strandings. I’ve always been interested in the latter, due to my state of Tasmania playing host to some of the worst mass beachings. The reasons largely remain a mystery. I regularly found myself sharing fun facts with others – always a good sign!

“Like us, humpback whales produce earwax that sits in their ear canal over time that can be used in a similar way to tree rings to determine age.”

I was amazed to learn of killer whales hunting humpbacks, and scientists training whale poo sniffer dogs. I never thought I would find myself reading about whale snot either. Some facts weren’t so fun, however, with ongoing threats to whale populations heartbreaking to read. Shame on Japan, Norway, and Iceland for still running commercial whaling.

This is essential reading for budding young scientists or those interested in marine biology. The more we learn about our whale friends, the better we can protect them, which is why books like this are important.

Humpback Highway will give you renewed appreciation for the natural world. It made me want to go whale watching. I’m glad we have scientists (like Vanessa) working hard to ensure we have whales swimming in our oceans for many years to come.

Many thanks to NewSouth Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy received from New South Books for an honest review

I am fascinated by whales. How something so large can move so gracefully, like a dancer moving through the waters always leaves me smiling, and a bit in awe.

And then I think about what humans are doing to our waters, and how we are affecting wildlife and I am just ugh.

So reading Humpback Highway was a no brainer for me.

I have found that a lot of times, scientific books by scientific people can be quite dry. Full of facts and figures, but no emotion.

That was not the case with this book. You can feel Vanessa Pirotta's excitement about her adventures and encounters jump of the page, and it makes the reader feel that they are with her as she swims with and photographs these gentle giants.

And now it makes me wish I hadn't moved 5 hours away from the east coast, especially coming up to migration season.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Humpback Highway, and now I want to go whale watching!

[Madison Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humpback Highway by Vanessa Pirotta is a captivating journey into the world of my favourite animal, the humpback whale. Pirotta’s blend of science, storytelling, and personal experience makes this book not only informative but also deeply inspiring. I have been following Vanessa’s journey for a while so I was very eager to dive into this book.

I loved the way Pirotta weaves together research, conservation challenges, and her own encounters on the water, making complex science feel alive and accessible.


A must read for anyone who loves whales, conservation, or simply wants to be reminded of how magical our natural world truly is.

🐋

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Pirotta’s passion for whales, their lives, and efforts in their conservation and making scientific progress in understanding more about them while maintaining a safe respectable distance with minimal disturbance really shines through in her writing. I have always been fascinated by whales and other marine animals, so having Dr. Pirotta share her knowledge and break it down into laymen terms is really valuable for me. Major take away lessons for me is to question the intentions behind our behaviour in whale watching or behaviours that disturb wildlife in general (we can love whales and be curious without going whale watching and disturbing them in their natural habitat, especially in this day and age with readily accessible documentaries), and to question our individual impact on wildlife, planet Earth and how we can each reduce our contribution to climate change, and how can we do our part in giving back to planet Earth instead of consistently taking resources from it.

[Nikki Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found some interesting information in this book. It's a fun read .

[Soaliha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book when I was asked to interview the author for Missing Perspectives’ podcast Book Smart. I instantly said yes, of course — not only do I adore whales, but I especially love biology and anything related to wildlife, as that’s the path I wanted to go down before I became a writer (I actually did work experience at Taronga Zoo!). Thank you to New South for the arc.

I read Humpback Highway in about four hours (it’s a pretty short read), and I really enjoyed the science and ocean adventure elements — Pirotta’s enthusiasm for marine biology is infectious. However, it's interesting that some of the most intriguing elements of her story were the least explored (like when she says motherhood radically shifted her perspective as a whale scientist — um, tell me more!). I'm not sure why — maybe the purpose of this book was to be less autobiographical, more science-y, but I think Pirotta is a super interesting person so that was a shame! The good news is that I was able to just ask Pirotta myself about the parts of her story that I wanted to know more about, like the above and also her experience as a woman in STEM (she alludes to sexism in the workplace in the book but doesn’t elaborate much), but of course, that's not going to be the average reader experience.

From a more technical side, the book was quite repetitive at times, with certain phrases repeated in multiple chapters as if the author was being pushed to meet a word count. The structure was also odd too, though I think this has more to do with the editor.

There was something that was bothering me a little as I continued to read, and I think the problem is that the contents of this book could have been a meaty feature article or series of coloumns, but instead were stretched into a rather anemic book. If it was shorter and punchier, I think it would have been perfect.

Is it worth the read? Yes. Pirotta has all kinds of expertise to share about whales, and some pretty harrowing information on how climate change and ocean pollution threaten their existence. She is also just really cool, and I'm awaiting the day she gets her own David Attenborough-style docu-series!

[Alex Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really quite disappointing. I bought the book specifically to learn more about the humpback whales that migrate past Sydney, as I've always been interested, and plan to visit Tonga soon to free-dive and observe them. Pirotta is obviously hugely knowledgeable and passionate about them, and as a local who has also done research into the whale diving in Tonga, the book could not be more relevant. She is also clearly passionate about science education, teaching and explaining her pet subject to lay people, which I appreciate.

But the book appears to be written for young adults, or even younger kids. Her conversational style, enthusiastic explanations and "oh my gosh isn't this exciting" interjections may work well with junior high school students, but it left me wanting a lot more. I'd say its an ideal book for getting a kid interested in marine biology generally or whales specifically - but adult readers may want more - I certainly did.

No disrespect, Pirotta has done some groundbreaking research (which she describes well) and there is a lot to learn in the book. But if it was aimed at young readers, it should be clearly marketed as such. If it wasn't, it really missed its mark.

[Lenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read to learn about whales and their migration across the Humpback Highway. I found this easy to read in relation to the scientific jargon - it was well explained but not so much so I was getting frustrated. In places, the language was almost too young, but I'm attributing this to Pirotta writing about a field she is clearly incredibly passionate about; if anything, it makes me want to find that level of excitement for myself.
I can't wait to see more from Pirotta, and as a HS teacher, I'd love to see something like this designed for middle school students, to peak their engagement too!

[Rhianna Merchant · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
If your a person looking for a career in the marine world (specifically with whales) this book has some great insight! But even if you aren’t and are just curious about whales, definitely read this book! I could not recommend it enough! Vanessa Pirotta has such incredible insights and experiences that she shares through this book! I loved it.

[Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been on Maui this week so wanted to dive further into the life of humpback whales. I found lots of interesting information in this book. She writes very casually, like she’s having a conversation with a friend. It’s accessible and gives all sorts of avenues for more questions to be asked. I enjoyed learning about them and feel like there is so much more to know.

[Laura Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learnt a lot from this book about whales and it was an ‘easy’ read, tailored to all from children to adults. The first half of this book was a lot more engaging/enjoyable than the second half where it became a little more of an essay read. I loved the stories about Migaloo and the indigenous connection to whales. I’d recommend it if you’re looking to learn a little about whales.

[Sarah McNeil · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some really fascinating information in this book, but its style and editing was distracting. I would have loved it more if it had gone through a heavier edit, as grammar mistakes etc. took me out of it! Otherwise, Dr. Pirotta’s work is inspiring enough to make this an engaging read nonetheless.

[Merran Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humpback Highway is a must read for all Australians who love the ocean. It is a celebration of a majestic marine mammal. I love that Pirotta makes interesting scientific observations, shows cultural connections while remaining deeply personal. Such a story! You'll learn something and love the read.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read if you are fascinated by whales! I loved learning about them, what incredible creatures.

[Vanessa Crump · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book about Pirottas first hand experience with whales through her life and academic career.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I try really tried hard,but it wasn’t what I expected at all. Don’t get me wrong whales important and all, but this book , just really grated on me.