Seal

Animal Series

by Victoria Dickenson

Playful and inquisitive, seals have long been interested in humans—and humans have reciprocated that interest, falling for their beauty, grace, and charm as they frolic alongside our boats or loll on sandy shores. In this newest entry in the Animal series, Victoria Dickenson traces the history of our interaction with these beautiful, fascinating swimmers, from the centuries of hunting—in which people killed countless seals for their skin, oil, and meat—to the present, when the white-furred baby seal has become one of the most potent symbols of the need for ecological conservation. Along the way, she offers an approachable account of seal biology and behavior, and she delineates the threats they face from habitat destruction and climate change. Beautifully illustrated and packed with stories from folklore, myth, and history, Seal offers a richly immersive view of a much-loved, storied creature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, History, Nature, Mythology

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2015

Reviews

[Sportyrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice coffee table book about seals. Covers things from biology and distribution to literature about seals and human interactions (including the hunting).

The photos were adorable. There were some pretty interesting trivia.

I liked the book but it was probably a bit too much about the human perspective/interaction with seals than just seals.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It is hard to imagine a creature more distant from the human species in bodily form, habits, and habitat than the seal,” Victoria Dickenson writes in her introduction, “yet our mutual regard tells of a long, shared history of interaction.” Seal is the latest in the 80-strong Animal series from Reaktion Books. Like other volumes, this gives a brief discussion of the featured animal’s evolutionary biology, followed by an interdisciplinary survey of how it has entered human culture throughout history. In the final two chapters—the highlight of an occasionally dry book—Dickenson gives a balanced account of the history of hunting seals.

See my full review on the Hakai Magazine website.

[Sara Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seal is the latest release in the Animal series, published by the University of Chicago Press, and the second in the series from author Victoria Dickenson. The book begins with a review of the evolutionary history of this playful species, and then moves into the long and complicated relationship between seals and humans, from the folklore of the selkies to the controversial but historic seal hunts. Dickenson describes pinnepeds, the clade of carnivorous, semi-aquatic mammals that include the Phocidae, or true seals, which are the focus of this book. If you have not spent much time along a coast where seals are common, then the pinniped you are likely the most familiar with is actually a sea lion. “The otariids—fur seals and sea lions—are also distinguished by their possession of pinnae, or outer ears. The walrus and the phocids have none, and the ‘true’ seals are thus commonly known as the ‘earless’ seals” (p. 22). After clearly defining the animal that will be the focus of this book, with the help of gorgeous color photos generously used throughout the book, Dickenson focuses on the interactions between seals and people, as this is one species that humans have long interacted with, and are fascinated by. Their large, inquisitive eyes capture our attention and imagination, and their intelligence has long been a source of amusement and profit, in the case of trained seals, many of whom are given human names such as Jenny, Fanny, and Ned, as well as consternation for the fishers who must contend with seals who destroy nets and steal the days’ catch.
This book is easy to read and utterly engrossing due to the accessible writing style, liberal use of first-hand accounts, and attractive photographs. However, the photos did not always match with the subject matter, which at times made their inclusion slightly distracting. The author does not shy away from the more controversial aspects of the seal’s shared history with humans, specifically the brutal aspects of the seal hunt, and the clubbing of baby seals. Her tone is neutral and she allows readers to generate their own opinions and conclusions about how we should proceed in the future with regards to the Inuit seal hunt, a source of continued controversy. This does not mean that her voice does not shine through. She makes occasional clever jokes that are not condescending, mocking, or off-putting, and are subtle enough to make the reader feel as though s/he has caught something elusive and special.
Accessible enough for high-level young readers, this book could be used in a middle school classroom to supplement a unit on ecology, classification, or a march through the kingdoms. In addition, the examination of the history between seals and humans means that it could be used in an interdisciplinary study between science and social studies.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well illustrated social and cultural history of the seal, exploring human relationships with these animals mostly in Europe and North America.

[Lucy Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't feel like this book was meant to be read cover to cover? Some interesting history, though.

[Lucy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, clear, elegant