Books: Book Details Rescue of Dolphins Swept to Sea During Hurricane Katrina

Coffee table book recounts how eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were washed out to sea from their home in Gulfport, and rescued weeks later.

On the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most catastrophic storms in the history of the United States, Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas is proud to launch the real life, non-fiction adventure book, The Katrina Dolphins: One-Way Ticket to Paradise. This 170-page, full-color coffee table book by Georgeanne Irvine chronicles the extraordinary saga of eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins - Jackie, Jill, Michelle, Kelly, Tamra, Toni, Noah, and Elijah - that were washed out to sea from their Marine Life Oceanarium home in Gulfport, Mississippi, and dramatically rescued weeks later.

The book features details about the events leading up to Hurricane Katrina as well as the exceptional rescue and recovery mission of the dolphins and their transport to Dolphin Cay at Atlantis, where they are now living with other dolphins from the Oceanarium that were evacuated prior to the storm. Irvine, who is the author of more than 20 children's books and hundreds of articles about animals, spent more than a year researching and writing the book. She conducted nearly 80 interviews with people who worked tirelessly to save these remarkable animals in the midst of their own personal tragedies and struggles, as well as those involved in the dolphins' transport to The Bahamas.

The Katrina Dolphins: One-Way Ticket To Paradise includes more than 400 remarkable color photographs, including many by world-renowned wildlife photographer, Ron Garrison, of the dolphin rescue and the dolphins themselves as well as the hurricane and its aftermath.

The book contains personal accounts of the effort that went into saving the animals affected by this tragedy, in addition to an epilogue about the dolphins' new lives at the 11-acre, 7-million-gallon lagoon at Atlantis' Dolphin Cay, a profile on each dolphin, dolphin facts, marine conservation information, and a rescue timeline.

The book is available immediately for pre-orders on www.ShopAtlantis.com, or by telephone at 877-ATL-LOGO (877-285-5646) for delivery on October 1, 2007. The book will retail for $60, with a portion of the proceeds from each sale going directly to the Kerzner Marine Foundation (KMF) to help support the conservation of marine animals throughout the world. KMF, a non-profit foundation seeking to foster the preservation and enhancement of global marine ecosystems through scientific research, education and community outreach, was founded by Atlantis' parent company, Kerzner International in 2005 through a $5 million grant.

The Katrina Dolphins are thriving in their new environment, where they are cared for by a team of more than 59 marine mammal specials. A poignant addendum to the dolphin tale is the birth of calves to three of the dolphins rescued from the Gulf of Mexico, which is a true sign of the dolphins' acclimation to their new home in paradise. The first calf, Runner, was born to 32-year-old Kelly on April 4, 2007. And, just two days later, on April 6, 2007, 21-year-old Michelle gave birth to Missi, named in honor of her mother's home state of Mississippi. Three months to the day later on June 6, 2007, 33- year-old Jackie gave birth to a healthy female calf who will be named by the residents of Gulfport, Mississippi, during the annual Katrina Kids event this fall. Katrina Kids reunites children from the Gulfport area with the dolphins for a weekend of educational and bonding experiences.

©Copyright 2007 by AlternativeApproaches.com