Customer Reviews

The Beachcomber' S Guide to Seashore Life in the Pacific Northwest

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I highly recommend this book. It's a great first stop for identifying tide pool creatures of the Pacific Northwest (specifically Washington, Oregon, Vancouver Island, and the San Juans). If you are hoping for a simple, straightforward guide that covers a broad range of critters, this is the book for you. You can count on this guide for good pictures, both common and scientific names, and a few interesting facts about each animal (and algae).

As a marine naturalist, I use this guide more than any other when I'm talking to people at the beach and have found that both adults and children find it helpful and interesting.

If you're hoping for a more in-depth guide with more detailed scientific information, I recommend Seashore Life of the Northern Pacific Coast by Kozloff (in addition to this book).

This guide lived up to its name and was fairly useful. However, it could have used some more detail, and pictures of just the shells would have been helpful. In general, it is a good beginners book.

I just used this guide over a weekend in Puget Sound. I found it to be tremendously helpful in identifying critters living in tidepools or along the beach. It does not include birds or mammals, focusing primarily on fish and invertebrates that live in the indertidal zone. Each entry includes a description, the range and habitat of the organism, and some notes with pertinent information. This is a very easy to use guide and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to tell the difference between a clam and a cockle.