This message is to announce the publication of  a new book by Daniel Francis and Gil Hewlett, entitled “Operation Orca:  Springer, Luna and the Struggle to Save West Coast Killer Whales” (Harbour Publishing).  The book provides comprehensive accounts of two attempts—one successful and one not—to rescue young orcas that had became separated from their family groups in British Columbia and Washington State.  It describes how the whales were discovered and identified, their condition and behaviour, the formulation of rescue strategies, issues associated with permitting and funding, collaborative agreements between governments and NGOs, and, in the case of the successful rescue, the long process of social re-integration after the whale was returned to its family group.  Destined to become a textbook for such operations in the future, the authors set their accounts against the backdrop of 35 years of  collaborative research on killer whales in the Pacific Northwest.

Additional details about the book can be found on the publisher’s website at http://www.harbourpublishing.com/title/OperationOrca.  The BC Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program has signed copies available for $31.45 (Canadian), 10% below the publisher’s price. Please contact me for details 

Judy McVeigh