Animals and the sea? “A vast program,” as a certain someone would have said… Which animals? Well, those with fur, feathers, and even some that become passengers against their will — sometimes parasites like rats, but also dogs, cats, horses, mules, circus animals, and carrier pigeons. The entire animal kingdom cannot be named exhaustively.
Some of these animals have perished at sea. At times, their role proved lifesaving for humans, though fatal for themselves. Numerous humorous, unusual, and moving anecdotes involving sea-related animals are recounted.
A large section is devoted to cetaceans, especially dolphins, and more specifically to the relationship humans have had with these marine mammals throughout history. In just a few decades, attitudes have shifted from detestation to veneration — even from hatred to love (the opposite of how humans behave toward one another!).
Also recounted is the curious post-mortem fate of a monkey that came from the sea one winter day. “The Beast,” the long-eared creature, is not forgotten in this volume, and the origins of this taboo are explained.
