Humpback Highway Diving into the mysterious world of whales

I entered the water quietly and saw two humpback whales sleeping diagonally in the distance. Two school buses just hanging in space … Acclaimed wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta has been mugged by whales, touched by a baby whale and covered in whale snot. In Humpback Highway, Pirotta dives beneath the surface to reveal the mysterious world of humpback whales – from their life cycle and the challenges humans present to these marine giants to why whale snot and poo are important for us and the ocean. Plus the cutting-edge new technologies (including tagging whales so that they communicate with satellites) that allow us to see where they swim, listen to them talk and even spy on them underwater.

Dr Vanessa Pirotta is a wildlife scientist and science communicator. Her research uses innovative technologies for wildlife conservation. Her best-known research involves using drones to collect whale snot (lung bacteria) from humpback whales to assess whale health. Whale research has taken Vanessa around the world to places such as Antarctica, Tonga and Madagascar. She is the author of the children’ s book, The Voyage of Whale and Calf.

Introduction Chapter 1 – Migaloo, the white humpback whale Chapter 2 – Buriburi, the humpback whale Chapter 3 – Old Tom, the killer whale Chapter 4 – A good news story Chapter 5 – Having a whale of a time Chapter 6 – Mother love Chapter 7 – Raising the biggest baby in the world Chapter 8 – Touched by a whale Chapter 9 – Doing good for whales Chapter 10 – Whale snot Chapter 11 – Ocean hazards Chapter 12 Climate change Conclusion References