Description:

An inside look at a renowned marine biologist’s quest to save an abandoned, endangered seal pup

Only eleven hundred Hawaiian monk seals survive in the wild. Without intervention, they face certain extinction within fifty years. When a two-day-old Hawaiian monk seal pup, later named Kauai Pup 2, or KP2, is attacked and abandoned by his mother on a beach, he is rushed off on a journey that will take him across the ocean to the California marine lab of eminent wildlife biologist Dr. Terrie M. Williams. As Williams works with the boisterous KP2 to save his species, she forms a lasting bond with him that illustrates the importance of the survival of all earth’s creatures and the health of the world’s oceans.

Review

“[An] inspiring tale…brings home the message that we must ‘respect and cherish all animals as partners on this earth.’”
—People

“Williams has crafted a fabulous biography of this singular animal, examining the surprising influence he has had since his birth just four years ago…Williams uses [her] autobiographical backdrop to great effect, mixing KP2’s story with her own to create dazzling portraits of a celebrity seal and a successful scientist.”
—New Scientist

“[W]orth reading for anyone interested in marine mammal conservation or conservation in general.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“A charming blend of science and animal memoir.”
—*Booklist *

“A moving, action-packed account.”
—*Kirkus *

“Williams carefully blends scientific record-keeping with engaging storytelling and personal reflections.”
—Publishers Weekly

“What a magical story! I’m amazed at how one little orphaned monk seal had the power to affect so many diverse groups of people, and to cause so much controversy and passion. He proved that one individual can make a difference in the world – even if that individual is an abandoned, helpless, blind seal, or an underfunded scientist with the guts to step in and help. This is more than just a cute story, although KP2 is quite a character. It has deep and far reaching implications about how we treat the world around us and about the importance of each creature, whether human or animal. This book is inspiring, touching encouraging, and fun, and I would recommend it to anyone.”
—Stacey O'Brien, author of Wesley the Owl

“Kudos to a devoted scientist who had to overcome a huge number of obstacles in order to achieve her goals. Whether the problems were with funding, red tape, or the need to maintain an emotional distance from an utterly appealing subject, Dr. Williams clearly succeeded, and her book is a testament to her resilience and scientific clarity.”
—Irene Pepperberg, author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence

“The Caribbean monk seal went extinct in the 1950s. The Mediterranean monk seal has a sword dangling over its head. The struggle for survival now shifts to Hawaii, whose unique monk seal faces an uncertain future. Terrie Williams has been in that fray, and brings us there too, in this touching and personal story with wisdom and insight.”
—Carl Safina, author of Song for the Blue Ocean and The View From Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World

“I am always looking for scientists who can bring us closer to the heart of the ocean and our place on the earth.  Terrie Williams listens to her subjects and, through this tale, gets us in sync with a rare seal and the challenges that he presents.”
—John Francis, Vice President for Research, Conservation, and Exploration, National Geographic Society

“With clear-headed prose and bared-heart honesty, Terrie Williams shares the plight of a charismatic monk seal and his extremely endangered kin. Behind the saltwater glamour and the exotic locales, marine conservation is a daunting brew of politics and protests, joy and heartache, death threats and $30,000 electric bills.  I found this book fascinating, inspiring, and deeply affecting.”
—Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Packing for Mars

About the Author

Terrie M. Williams is the director of the Marine Mammal Physiology Project at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a cocreator of the Center for Ocean Health. She was named one of the Fifty Most Important Women in Science by Discover magazine. She lives in Soquel, California.