Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780593380604)

This fascinating nonfiction picture book filled with stunning illustrations details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea.

When a whale dies, its massive body silently sinks down, down, through the inky darkness, finally coming to rest on the silty seafloor. For the whale, it's the end of a 70-year-long life. But for a little-known community of deep-sea dwellers, it's a new beginning. First come the hungry hagfish, which can smell the whale from miles around. Then the sleeper sharks begin their prowl, feasting on skin and blubber. After about six months, the meat is gone. Year after year, decade after decade, the whale nourishes all kinds of organisms from zombie worms to squat lobsters to deep-sea microbes.

This completely fascinating real-life phenomenon is brought to vivid and poetic life by nonfiction master Melissa Stewart and acclaimed illustrator Rob Dunlavey.

Author: Melissa Stewart
ISBN-10: 0593380606
ISBN-13: 9780593380604
Publisher: Random House Studio
Language: English
Published: 03/14/2023
Pages: 40
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.13h x 11.18w x 0.55d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2022
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2023 pg. 111
Booklist 03/01/2023 pg. 49
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2023 - Superior,Well Above Average