Whale-watching is a popular activity off New Hampshire's coast, but what do we really know about these huge marine mammals? We hear from a paleobiologist who's written a new book "Spying On Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures," about the evolutionary history of whales. We also look at the ecological success of the humpback whale, and consider the North Atlantic right whale, teetering on the edge of extinction. And we look at whale preservation efforts made by the lobster and fishing industry.
GUESTS:
- Mark Baumgartner: researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
- Kristan Porter: President of the Maine Lobsterman's Association and a fisher from Cutler, Maine.
- Nick Pyenson: Curator of Fossil Marine Mammals at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and author of "Spying on Whales: The Past, Present and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures."
- Dianna Schulte: researcher and co-founder of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation.
Listen to Dave Davies'sconversation with Nick Pyenson on Fresh Air.
Learnhow difficult it is to be a whale these days in this Atlantic article.
The New England News Collaborative reported on whale conservation efforts and the impact of Maine's iconic lobster industry.
NHPR's Outside/In covered whale entanglements in their episode "On The Ropes."
The tension between the fishing industry and whale preservation efforts was covered by the Portland Press Herald.