La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Gene Helfman has a whale of a story to tell.

It is one the Lopez Island author is literally putting into the hands of the public – especially those concerned with the plight of threatened Southern Resident orcas. His novel, “Beyond the Human Realm,” follows the life of, Makai, a captive male orca saved from euthanasia and released into the wild. Makai then encounters whales and people instrumental in helping him gain acceptance into orca society.

“I think the book will be of interest to your readership because of the intense local, regional and global interest in the endangere...