Souls in the Sea: Dolphins, Whales, and Human Destiny

This is a book that made me wonder why it was not written earlier. It slaked my thirst for more information on these lines as I typed feverishly on the keyboard, for more material on the same lines. For this book opened up, at least for me, a portal to a world that cannot possibly coexist in the same world that we live in today. After having read this book, it became clearer for me that we are being cornered into a choice, i.e., if we truly wish to understand its message, to make a silent affirmation as to what we stand for, whether it is the small scale subsistence and ambitions of a bourgeois lifestyle, or the larger one of fruitful interaction in collective harmony with all of creation.Many thousands of years ago, the cetaceans filled the seas and oceans of the earth. Today only a handful of them remain. Dolphins and whales, are in great danger today, not least because of getting enmeshed in the nets of fishing trawlers tracking tuna shoals, but also because of the sonar waves created by military submarines in the depths of the ocean, thus polluting their natural habitat with alien frequencies that can mislead them into unsafe areas. Not to mention the extensive pollution of the seas and the wanton slaughter of Cetaceans by humans.There is, however, more to the Cetacean story than just the need for saving these magnificent and sensitive creatures from extinction by the depraved nature of the human race, just like any other endangered species. There is much, much more. Dolphins and whales form the stuff of legends; as sentient beings, they have communicated with and inspired mankind for times immemorial, starting with the aborigines of Australia, to the early civilizations of Sumeria, Egypt and India and going onto the present day where they have been known to have successfully helped autistic children make substantial improvement with their handicap, when all other conventional methods have not yielded results.This is where this book comes in. It presents a concrete framework, seldom seen before, a golden thread through which one can 'see' the evolution of our human understanding of the cetacean soul over the last few thousand years, since man arrived on the scene. Scott Taylor presents concrete evidence, of the respect that the people from the ancient civilizations of Sumeria, India and ancient Egypt, felt for the Cetaceans. The same goes for the Australian aborigines and the Dogon tribes of East Africa, among others. According to the author, the Fall came with the advent of the Middle Ages and the rise of religious fundamentalism (e.g. the Inquisition), which militated against the Gnostic spirit of free enquiry and individual knowing, gleaned from accessing the wisdom within, from one's inner core as propounded by Jesus. Jesus' teachings were modified and rewritten so that all ultimate authority was invested in the Pope and/or the ruler of the country, in order to allow them to wield power over the masses. In this book, Scott Taylor discusses the role of the Dolphin in these times of transition, ranging over a thousand years.The narrative content, as I see it, is just enough to let the big picture emerge without going into too many specifics of detail.The story of the Dolphin proceeds to modern times, with the extensive research of John C. Lilly, one of the author's main collaborators. In these and related chapters, the author talks about the brain structure of both whales and dolphins, making a clear case for their consciousness to be at least as advanced as humans and possibly more. This is where the main thrust of the book comes up, here the author makes a well argued case for the Cetacean as spiritual beings, waiting in the wings, to help us make a transition - to a world where beauty and harmony set the rules, instead of avarice, greed and conflict. This is an issue that is mined territory, there are plenty of scientists who have been instrumental in bunking just this particular myth of "the divine nature of the dolphin". Scott Taylor handles this issue with delicate and persuasive aplomb, illustrating the veracity of his facts, with incidents from his own life and his colleagues. This book is replete with quotes from people from all walks of life, some well-known, some less so. It is the handling of this particular subject, that makes this book the eye opener that it is. For me, personally, the decades long conditioning of bourgeois values, the need to go higher up in the hierarchy, appeared, at least for some golden moments, to be something unworthy to strive hard for. Scott Taylor's worldview is contagious, it is a picture where equal rights are granted to all, including our animal relatives.An important question that is also discusses in this book, in some detail is that of the freedom enjoyed by wild dolphins, being compromised by humanity, when they are captured and either, made to perform tricks for the benefit of a paying audience, or being confined to a smaller sized tank where they are studied for purposes of research. Mention is also made of the animal's rights activists, who in the name of freedom, set captive dolphins free from their enclosures and force the bewildered creatures out to sea, to fend for themselves. Scott Taylor puts himself in the category of those who allow dolphins to interact with humans in a mutually beneficial and synergistic manner. Especially interesting to investigate is the sonar waves that dolphins send out, autistic children have shown remarkable improvement with dolphin sonar therapy. This issue is where the author seems to have taken a clear stand against die hard animal rights groups.Personally, I guess that this particular change in worldview, is what the much talked about transition in Dec.2012, commemorating the end of the Mayan calendar, is all about. The end of the Mayan Calendar signifies the birth of a new kind of human being, a being who lives in harmony with all other sentient beings on this planet - as equal beings with equal rights. My own opinion, for what it is worth, is that this is where we are headed, if we allow our heart's wisdom to prevail. And this is where the Cetaceans, the dolphins and whales, are waiting to help us, waiting for us to re-member, so that we can forgive the past, forget and start living anew.Read this book, it will go a long way to opening your heart.

Many people who have read the Old Testament have encountered the brief story of Jonas and the whale. Souls in the Sea expands the concept of a spirit of giving amongst cetaceans.. This interesting, informative book written by Scott Taylor, director of cetacean studies, is written in language that the layman can understand. For anyone who has had the experience of swimming with wild dolphins, in a way that is respectful and does not interfere, as I have, it resonates. These creatures display high cognitive functions. When they choose to interact with humans, it is in a mindful way. Their sonar appears to have beneficial effects. They appear compassionate towards people suffering from autism and depression. The title alone draws attention to an age-old question: Can creatures other than humans have souls? A soul is a living being that has an eternal quality to it. There was a time in history well-documented when dolphins collaborated with humans to bring in the fish. I heard these stories from the Maori in New Zealand who would sing to them to 'herd' the fish towards the shore, and in Hawaii. Anyone who has gone to Crete and Greece cannot help but notice the dolphin art on frescoes. When non-Native newcomers slaughtered Cetaceans indiscriminately, that level of interspecies collaboration was affected. If a creature has positive feelings that display caring sharing, and forgiving, if it has the capacity to communicate in ways that clearly demonstrate this 'human' quality, is it not then possible that it too has a soul and a spirit? This is a great book to read for those who want to have a greater understanding of dolphins and how they assist humans. Perhaps then there would be less nightmarish, brutish encounters by humans such as evidenced in the documentary "The Cove" filmed in 2009 directed by Louie Psihoyos, filmed by by a group of activities and their leader Ric O'Barry who will be turning 77 in 2017. Scott Taylor's well-crafted exposé containing facts and lots of qualitative data helps raise human awareness where Cetaceans are concerned. It is hard for many humans to care about that about which they know naught. I highly recommend this read as a non-fiction starting point that will help lead the reader to an appreciation of the great significance of dolphins and whales and their contributions to life on this planet. I heartily endorse this book as a well-balanced 'must-read.'

This book helps Awaken the spirit of the dolpin in all of us, i tuna fished for many years and saw many dolphins have even been woken up by some circling our boat even with baits int be water they never once tried to go after one of our live baits or get snagged in a line, even whales would circle our boat for hours without getting tangled although occasically they would make mistakes it was very rare but i believe it was only due to their size and i felt horrible when a hook would catch a whale somewhere on their skin but it seemed like they circled us with good intent, and dolphins never once snagged a line being more agile it really showed the wit of these creatures as well as gave me an even higher respect for the ocean and its creatures, as much as id like to use it as a vessel to still see dolphins daily i will be leaving the tuna boat as i want to pursue more beneficial advances to man kind and awaken more people to the urgency and necessity for change

Great read! Very informative from ancient times to now. I have done alot of reading on this subject and this by far has more info compiled in one source. Tons of new information and during reading, I had many ah ha moments. This is my new go to book. This book has given me much food for thought. I would highly recommend this book to all. Whether a dolphin fan, history or science buff or spiritual seeker. Please read, you will not be sorry that you did! Eye opener. Love it!