Using an economic argument as if it were the soundest basis for judgment is, of course, at the root of the tragedy of our times. One could hardly find a clearer example of what such reasoning leads to than the present state of whales. Simply stated, putting economics first is the myopia of this the most shortsighted of all civilizations; it is the view for which our era will someday be judged more harshly than the most ignorant and prejudiced medieval society. The ultimate expression of our madness is that we revere as wise those who put economic considerations above all else and sneer at those who see the madness of such a system of values, labeling them as unrealistic. Meanwhile, we spend all of our children's inheritance to maintain ourselves in the myth that what we are doing is viable. I would offer that this is the most deeply flawed, most expensive belief ever adopted in the history of our species.
Roger Payne
from Among Whalesoriginally published in 1995, Delta.
Roger Payne (1935 - 2023) began his study of whales in 1967, and was best known for showing that the complex vocalizations humpback whales make are rhythmic repeated patterns and therefore are properly classified as songs. He also showed that before propellor driven ships the loud, low frequency sounds of fin and blue whales were audible across entire oceans (a proposal since confirmed). from: https://rogerpayne.com/
Charles Melville Scammon (1925 - 1911) spent eleven years sailing and whaling the west coast of North America. He discovered the lagoons where the gray whales breed and calve. Though never ashamed of whaling, he took no enjoyment from the killing; he much prefered to study and draw the cetaceans. Ultimately, he gathered his writing and drawings and put them together in a book. The book has become a classic of the genre.
Scammon, Charles (1968) [1874]. The Marine Mammals of the North-western Coast of North America: Together with an Account of the American Whale-fishery. Dover.
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