Full disclosure: I am the publisher and the proofreader of this book. I don't normally review books I work on, but this one is special. Because oh my god, this book is beautiful. I have actually cried multiple times working on it, reading a passage or coming across a photo...ever time I turn a page, I am amazed—or gutted—by something new I see. This is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful things I've ever worked on, and I hope, one of the most important.
Spirits of the Coast is an anthology of writing, original artwork and photography by scientists, artists, wilderness guides, activists and elders from across cultures and generations. In its pages, we learn the stories of Luna, Skana, Granny, Tahlequah, Haida and Tilikum, Namu and Shamu, Rhapsody, and many more...and of course, our beloved and imperilled Southern Residents. You'll love them, you'll cry for them, and I hope you'll put the book down wanting to help them.
This book is an introduction to the biology, ecology and culture of orcas. It's a celebration (and sometimes a critique) of the many varied relationships we humans have had with them over millennia. It's a collected testimony of eco-grief. But more than anything, it's a love letter to the Salish Sea, and the non-human people we share it with, and must protect it for.