Eye of the Albatross

Winner of the John Burroughs Medal for Natural History Writing
Winner of the National Academies' Communications Award

"One of the most delightful natural history studies in decades." —The Boston Globe

The MacArthur Genius and bestselling author shares a must-read guide to delicate and wonderous marine ecosystems, with immersive and insightful prose.

Eye of the Albatross takes us soaring to locales where whales, sea turtles, penguins, and shearwaters flourish in their own quotidian rhythms. Carl Safina's guide and inspiration is an albatross he calls Amelia, whose life and far-flung flights he describes in fascinating detail. Interwoven with recollections of whalers and famous explorers, Eye of the Albatross probes the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between man and marine life. Safina's perceptive and authoritative portrait results in a transforming ride to the ends of the Earth for the reader, as well as an eye-opening look at the health of our oceans.

“Safina delivers a message full of wonder at the natural world and concern about the fragility of his subject . . . He cannot contain his delight in birds, fish, and the profusion of life on the islands he visits.”
—The New York Times Book Review