Lynda Mapes

"On a sunny August morning in 2016, a baby sea otter was found washed up on the sand. Orphaned and sick, Rialto was taken to the Seattle Aquarium, where his dedicated caretakers nursed him back to health and taught him how to be an otter. Soon, the charming Rialto was stealing hearts as he played with toys made of ice, swam in his very own pool, ate tasty clams, and floated on his back. Learn about Rialto's rescue--and how you can help to save this...

"In Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home journalist Lynda V. Mapes explores the natural history of the orca and the unique challenges for survival of the Southern Resident group that frequents Puget Sound. These whales are among the most urban in the world, a focus of researchers, tourists, and politicians alike. Once referred to as "blackfish" and still known as "killer whales," orcas were for generations regarded as vermin to be avoided or exterminated,...