Richard Ellis

April 7, 2011

The Great Sperm Whale: A Natural History of the World's Most Magnificent and Mysterious Creature, University Press of Kansas, 2011

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Mike Rogers - Library Journal

Anyone familiar with Ellis's work knows his fascination with Physeter macrocephalus, the sperm whale. These creatures were included in his previous volumes, The Book of Whales and Men and Whales, but here take center stage. Not a rehash of that info, Ellis’s intent here is to pull together all those disparate discussions and add substantial new material. Paying homage to Herman Melville, the great author and his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, are referenced throughout this volume, which approaches these cetaceans from a number of facets; their history (as well as we know it) and legend, biology, social lives, human interaction (they're friendly), adversarial relationship with and taste for squid (best chapter title: "I'll Have the Calamari"), the whaling industry, and efforts to protect them. Buttressing the text, which though it incorporates science lingo is still accessible to lay readers, are 122 photos and illustrations, many of which are Ellis's original artworks. VERDICT At once a richly detailed, informative, scientific exploration as well as a love sonnet to the ocean’s greatest leviathan, this will appeal to fans of nautical history, nature, Melville, and armchair cetologists. A superb addition to Ellis's canon.

The Scientist, Vol. 26, Issue 4, pg. 75

Like an aesthetic Ahab chasing his Like an aesthetic Ahab chasing his quarry through the inky depths, author, marine naturalist, conservationist, and painter Richard Ellis sets out to capture the mighty Physeter macrocephalus by laying bare its secrets in his latest book, The Great Sperm Whale. But unlike the tragic hero of Herman Melville's American masterpiece, Ellis succeeds in capturing his muse-alive. The author explores virtually every fascinating aspect of the species: its evolutionary roots as a terrestrial carnivore, its mysterious diving physiology and unique anatomy, its place in literature and popular culture, and the uncertain future of today's surviving sperm whales. As well as a deep dive into the sperm whale's evolutionary history, physiology, anatomy, behavior, and ecology, the book is also part autobiography, serving as a window on Ellis's lifelong passion for following, learning from, and painting the ocean's inhabitants. The Great Sperm Whale is a delightful and informative read. Save a spot for it on the shelf next to Moby Dick.

August 21, 2010

On the Line

To hear Richard Ellis on Voice of America click here.

The World Wide Fund for Nature is urging the Japanese people to stop eating bluefin tuna. Three quarters of the bluefin consumed in the world is eaten in Japan, where it is prized as sushi and sashimi. Bluefin have been fished aggressively for decades, and the ocean's population of the big, fast-swimming tuna has dropped dramatically.

An effort this year to protect the fish through a ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna exports failed. Japan successfully lobbied against the ban at a meeting in March of this year of the U.N.'s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

This program of On The Line explores how serious the depletion of bluefin tuna in the world's oceans has become and what it tells us about the dangers of overfishing in other kinds of fish.