Practical and portable, this is the ultimate field guide for any whale-watcher in North America This outstanding field guide provides the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date coverage of the whales, dolphins and porpoises that occur off the coasts of North America. Packed with accurate illustrations - complete with detailed annotations pointing out significant field marks - Field Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises of North America covers all 54 species and every subspecies that occurs in the region. Many of the world''s most respected whale biologists have collaborated on the concise text, which is packed with helpful identification tips from cetacean expert Mark Carwardine. Mark''s informative text is accompanied by up-to-date distribution maps for each species. Beautifully designed to ensure critical information is quickly accessible, this is an indispensable resource that every whale-watcher in the USA, Mexico or Canada will be carrying out to sea in search of these awesome mammals.

Autorentext
Mark Carwardine is a zoologist and an award-winning writer, a TV and radio presenter, a bestselling author of more than 50 books, a BBC Wildlife magazine columnist, a widely published photographer and an outspoken environmentalist. He presented BBC Radio 4's weekly programme, Nature, for many years and is best known for his Last Chance to See books, radio series and TV series with Douglas Adams and Stephen Fry. He was Chair of the Judging Panel of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for seven years and was selected as one of 'The World's 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers' in the US's Outdoor Photography magazine. He is currently presenting and producing the BBC Wildlife Photography Masterclass on YouTube and runs wildlife photography holidays and workshops all over the world.

Inhalt

How to use this book
The challenges of identification
Cetacean topography
Barnacles to whale lice
Quick ID guides
Information for working at sea

Right and bowhead whales (family Balaenidae)
Gray whale (family Eschrichtiidae)
Rorquals (family Balaenopteridae)
Sperm whales (families Physeteridae, Kogiidae)
Narwhal and beluga (family Monodontidae)
Beaked whales (family Ziphiidae)
Blackfish (family Delphinidae)
Shorter-beaked oceanic dolphins (family Delphinidae)
Longer-beaked oceanic dolphins (family Delphinidae)
Porpoises (family Phocoenidae)

Caring for whales, dolphins and porpoises
Glossary
North American species checklist
Sources and resources
Index