Those honors include the 2002 Outstanding Book of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for Creatures of the Deep: In Search of the Sea’s Monsters and the World They Live In (Firefly, $40). “Packed with action, is the only I have ever read that treats this glamorous sea predator in depth.” Roger Tory Peterson, naturalist and author of the Peterson Field GuidesĪ senior research fellow of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Hoyt has won many awards for his science writing.

“Erich Hoyt’s book is a splendid introduction to one of the most fascinating and charismatic animals in the world.” Sir Peter Scott, Founder, World Wildlife Fund “One of those rare, genuine books about a wild animal.” Nikolaas “Niko” Tinbergen, co-winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “Superb … One of the best nature books of the year.” Publishers Weekly “I have never read a better book about whales …” The Philadelphia Inquirer So instead of writing the usual review, I’d like to quote from some of that praise: And while I may be biased because Hoyt is a friend, the praise Orca has received from others is even more extravagant than mine. First published 25 years ago by Dutton and still in print, this fascinating book tells the true story of the seven summers its author spent living (and sometimes swimming) with killer whales or orcas in the wild near Vancouver. Erich Hoyt offers a rare blend of scientific authority and deep personal engagement in his modern classic Orca: The Whale Called Killer (Camden House, $12.95). Many popular books about nature have a problem: They’re weak on science but strong on stories, or they’re strong on science but weak on stories. The true story of an acclaimed writer’s seven summers of living (and sometimes swimming) with orcas in the wild near Vancouver

Orca by Erich Hoyt