GIGI A Baby Whale Borrowed for Science and Returned to the Sea

by Eleanor & William E. Evans Coerr ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 20, 1980

Gigi is a gray whale captured shortly after birth for study at Sea World in San Diego. Coerr, a writer, and Evans, a Science World scientist, describe in general terms the mother whale's migration down the West Coast from the Arctic to Scammon's Lagoon in Baja California, then report on Gigl's capture and adjustment. Worries about her survival are eased when a talented staffer wins Gigi's confidence and discovers how she should be fed. Speedy, a Sea World dolphin, is brought in as companion and exercise instructor. Then the studies begin. Scientists learn from the experiment about gray-whale feeding and breathing, and about other matters that Coerr and Evans merely list. Their focus is on the mechanics of Gigi's captivity--and her return to the sea. Will she survive the dry truck trip? Can her handlers manage her 14,000 pounds? Can she cope with the ocean and its tough inhabitants? Yes to all three, as reports of Gigi's offshore appearances continue to trickle in. Whatever the value of the experiment for science, it is outlined here without much style or detail. However, where the subject is its own advertisement, the writing will slip through.

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1980

Categories: NONFICTION