Hunting for The Last Whale

Chris Vick's The Last Whale (Zephyr) is a powerful exploration of our oceans and what links us to them; a story about one family's move from hunting whales to campaigning for them; and a warning of how bad things could get if we fail these ocean creatures. 

In his video, Chris tells us what inspired him to write The Last Whale, as well as exploring the main themes in the novel and why he feels AI technology could, one day, help us to save the planet.

Read a chapter from The Last Whale

Summer, the Present
Fiery and fierce, computer geek and eco-activist, Abi is holidaying with her grandmother on an island off the Norwegian coast. Having developed and befriended an AI device, Moonlight, she hopes to organise a global protest. On the island, she learns her great-grandfather rejected the family's whaling livelihood, instead creating the first whale song recording. Inspired by him, Abi and Moonlight translate the whales' songs and discover their stories. Whales are under threat, their numbers rapidly dwindling. Abi is determined to help.

Autumn, 30 years later
The world's ecosystems are collapsing. There is no sight or sound of whales. Abi, her daughter, Tonje, and a now almost conscious Moonlight live on an isolated island in the Atlantic. They search for any sign of whales, but so far there is only silence.

Winter, the Future
Tonje's search was not in vain. Despite climate crisis and the threat of extinction, there is always hope for the future, as nature and technology combine in a captivating, action-packed adventure with a powerful environmental call to arms. For 12+