Field Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises

About this book

Read our interview with Mark Carwardine.

Practical and portable, this is the ultimate field guide to the world's cetaceans.

This outstanding new field guide to whales, dolphins and porpoises is the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date guide to these popular mammals. With more than 500 accurate illustrations – complete with detailed annotations pointing out the most significant field marks – this new field guide covers all 93 species and every subspecies in the world.

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 will want to carry out to sea.

Contents

How to use this book
The challenges of identification
Cetacean topography
Quick ID guides

Right and bowhead whales
Pygmy right whale
Grey whale
Rorquals
Sperm whales
Narwhal and beluga
Beaked whales
Blackfish
Shorter-beaked oceanic dolphins
Longer-beaked oceanic dolphins
River dolphins
Porpoises

Caring for whales, dolphins and porpoises
Glossary
Species checklist
Sources and resources
Artists' biographies
Image credits
Acknowledgements
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Mark Carwardine is a zoologist, writer, radio and TV presenter, wildlife photographer, wildlife tour operator and an active and outspoken conservationist, with a special interest in cetaceans. His TV series include BBC's Last Chance to See with Stephen Fry, and for many years he presented the weekly half-hour programme Nature on BBC Radio 4. Mark has been writing a monthly column in BBC Wildlife magazine since 2004, is contributing editor of Wanderlust magazine, and has written more than 50 books on wildlife and conservation, including many about whales. He has been studying, observing and photographing whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world for more than 30 years.