The Last Sunset in the West

Britain's west coast is home to only one pod of orca, and they're heading rapidly towards extinction. In 2014, marine biologist Dr Natalie Sanders joined the crew of the Silurian to seek out the West Coast Community of orca and study them before we lose them forever. In The Last Sunset in the West, she discusses these iconic marine mammals as individuals while also exploring the impact issues like pollution, entanglement, military sonar and climate change have on whales and dolphins. Though the West Coast Community has delighted scientists and whale watchers for years, we still know relatively little about them. What we do know comes mostly from citizen science and chance encounters. This book gathers all the available pieces of the puzzle, making it a must-read for anyone interested in killer whales. In almost thirty years of formal monitoring, no calves have ever been spotted and in recent years, only John Coe and Aquarius, two elderly males, have been seen. It is feared that they are the only surviving members, a heart-breaking decline for this small, isolated, and unique population. This captivating account, which includes Sanders's role in the last recorded sighting of Comet, takes the reader from the Western Isles of Scotland to Vancouver Island and around the world, deep into the history of our relations with these beautiful and sentient creatures. The Last Sunset in the West memorialises the last of these incredible animals, explains what their loss means, and discusses how we can avoid similar tragedies in the future. 'Conveys both the magnificence and fragility of this remarkable creature.' -Vanessa Collingridge 'A wonderfully passionate account.' -Gordon Buchanan