Humpback highway, Vanessa Pirotta.

Humpback highway, Vanessa Pirotta.

"Acclaimed wildlife scientist Vanessa 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 that allow us to see where they swim, listen to them talk and even spy on them underwater."

In August 2024 I travelled to Australia, and had one of my lifelong dreams come true: I saw whales. I saw actual wild whales, in their natural habitat, with my own eyes. The experience was utterly amazing. I have always loved whales, but now after seeing these angels of the sea, I felt forever changed. It's just hard to believe they are even real, that's how miraculous they are.

I bought this book while in Sydney. I have books about whales back at home too, but this one is extra special because it mainly focuses in the Sydney part of the humpback highway, where I too saw these magnificent beings. In this book Vanessa Pirotta tells about her own whale experiences and about her work as a scientist along the humpback highway, without forgetting to add plenty of whale information to the pages too. She also introduces her readers to some of the most famous whales in Australia (wish I could see Migaloo too!) and tells readers about the things that threaten whales, such as ocean traffic, fishing gear, shark nets and climate change. Basically, in this book you learn almost everything you need to know about the humpbacks in Australian waters, so it is a must read for every single person visiting Australia. Also, my new dream is to go whale watching with Vanessa Pirotta and ask her about a million questions about whales.