The Great Sperm Whale: A Natural History of the Ocean's Most Magnificent and Mysterious Creature

Richard Ellis has spent his life learning about the great sperm whale, and this book is proof of that fact. The Great Sperm Whale takes readers on an adventure to learn about one of the ocean's most mysterious creatures. While there are many theories about sperm whales, Richard Ellis shows that the truth of sperm whales still remains unknown. Supported by many different resources, Ellis uses personal account, scientific research, as well as literary references to show how much and yet how little we know about this creature. His writing is clear, and while sometimes the structure from paragraph to paragraph feels jumpy, he inevitably concludes chapters and ideas well. While I did find the certain parts of the book tedious (specifically the unknown origins of evolution), overall, I felt that page after page provided new astounding details about the sperm whale. This book will definitely provide for some great reading for any person interested in expanding their knowledge about the whale either for pleasure or research. With the extensive references, it also serves as a great springboard into even more research and leisure reading. Additionally, the pictures scattered throughout make for an even more intriguing read as you see the evolution of our knowledge of the sperm whale.

Herman Melville said of the sperm whale, "His is an unwritten life." Not anymore.I'm a longtime fan of Ellis' work, so it was no surprise I loved this entry in his works on marine life. I'd read a great deal on this animal, including Ellis' own earlier books, but I had no idea just how bizarre Physeter macrocephalus really is. It has countless features (like the single forward spout) that don't appear in other whales, and a nose/spermaceti organ so remarkably weird it belongs on a creature from another planet. It wasn't until the last decade that scientists gave credence to the startling fact that sperm whales hunt squid in darkness by finding and then stunning them with sound. The sperm's evolution is very well traced, showing many transitional forms (including the fearsome Livyatan melvillei), but there is still a lot we don't know about how this animal came to be so unique.As always with an Ellis book, this one is a mini-reference library, with a bibliography running 23 pages. Also as always, Ellis' own drawings and paintings bring the whale to life in a way the photographic record (which was sparse until remarkably recently) can't quite capture. (Ellis' postscript on how one paints a whale mural is fascinating "bonus footage" that comes with the book.)Everyone is curious about how big the whale gets. Ellis rejects the idea that bull sperms were historically larger than the 62-foot modern record, but he admits that a pair of 11-inch teeth in a museum (8 inches is big) make one wonder just what the all-time record was. Ellis does not mention one oddity, the old reports of aberrant sperm whales with true dorsal fins - these may be in error, but I would have liked Ellis' analysis.I would reduce the rating to 4.5 stars on a couple of minor flaws - the occcasional wrong word has slipped through editing, and there is some repetition. Ellis gives Charles Townsend's estimate of the casualties of New England Yankee whaling on page 238, but doesn't point out it's drastically wrong until page 291.The sperm whale really is, as Ellis says, "The ocean's most magnificent and mysterious creature." Pick up this remarkable book and meet the monarch of the seas.Matt Bille, author, Shadows of Existence: Discoveries and Speculations in Zoology (for which Richard Ellis kindly proofed the chapters on cetaceans). (Hancock, 2006)[...]

This is the book that I have been waiting for , for 50 years . As I kept my childhood facination with whales and over the years have read most everything that could be found . I have enjoyed reading Hal Whitehead , the journey of Nelson Haley and the novels of Hank Searls and Herman Melville . But this book is special . It is an easy reading , thourghly researched book , covering all facets of the most amazing of all creatures . The only question that was not addressed , that I still wonder about is why is the whale's skin wrinkled like a prune ? There must be a very good reason for it . But neither this nor any other book I have read , has speculated on its purpose . I highly recomend the book . It is the number one book on the subject , at this time ......Lee H.

The only complaint about this book is that I was looking for detailed scientific info about the sperm whale not a review of Moby Dick the book which I have read and admit it is a great book but I had to skip over a large part of this book to get the info I wanted and due to other research I have done on this subject I did detect some errors and obmisions about the animal.Aside from his obsession with Moby Dick he also including a lot of interesting info about whale hunting in general and life on whale ships but again very little info on the animal itself,a good read but not what I was looking for.

A good review of the current knowledge of Sperm Whales and Sperm Whale history. Well written.objective, but we still have a lot to learn about this animal with the worlds largest brain that is living in an alien environment.

if you are a whale watcher this is an excellent choice.

Avevo letto i suoi libri sui mostri del mare e su il calamaro gigante... questo è un altro capolavoro!penso sia un libro eccezionale... Richard Ellis è un grande divulgatore! lieto di averlo nella mia biblioteca!