DK Handbooks: Whales Dolphins and Porpoises [Paperback]

Mark Carwardine (Author)

Book Description

Series: DK Handbooks

Annotated illustrations, descriptions, identification checklist, behavior, and sighting tips,

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The publisher calls this a pocket guide to cetaceans, and that's a fair description. Arranged by families, then alphabetically by species, the book compresses much information onto each page. In addition to identification tips such as fin placement, coloring, a size scale, and the like, behavior notes and range maps are provided. Brief introductory materials include a cetacean overview, anatomy, behavior, conservation, and whale-watching advice. While this book contains good facts, its practical use as a field guide may be limited. The identification key illustrations for the smaller whales and dolphins are so small that they are not very useful. Comparisons of animals likely to be seen together would have been helpful. Those academic or public libraries wanting a compact encyclopedia with good concise information should consider purchase. Those needing a field guide may find this tool limited.?Nancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The Eyewitness Handbooks series, so popular with young readers, is now producing illustration-packed books for adults. In this guide to whales, dolphins, and porpoises, arranged by family orders, Carwardine explains that new species of these elusive creatures are still being discovered. The book's description of 79 species is based upon the author's and illustrator's own observations and the works of many other specialists. General information on diet, habitat, anatomy, behavior, and conservation prefaces the specific descriptions. For the casual whale watcher or earnest conservation buff, here is an invaluable guide. Glossary and association addresses included. Denise Perry Donavin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; Flexi edition (March 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564586200
• ISBN-13: 978-1564586209
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,386,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like whales, you'll like this book, December 15, 1999

By 

Travis Cottreau (Wellington, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DK Handbooks: Whales Dolphins and Porpoises (Hardcover)

If you want detailed information on whales, dolphins and porpoises layed out in a consistant, logical way with beautifully drawn, color images, this is the book for you.

Some of the detailed information includes maps of where the animals typically range, a profile of their dive sequences for whale watchers and a comparison profile against a 6ft tall man. This is for each and every animal in the book and only part of the information included.

This is a real gift to whale lovers and whale watchers everywhere. I can't really see anyone being dissapointed in a purchase of this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, November 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: DK Handbooks: Whales Dolphins and Porpoises (Paperback)

If you want to know anything about whales, dolphins or even porpoises get this book. It has all the information from an ID Checklist (to ID the animals in the wild) to information about it's diet. YOu can find anything in this book. Great for anyone!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Field Guide for Cetaceans I Have Seen, January 10, 2000

By 

Paul A. Guris (East Coast, U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DK Handbooks: Whales Dolphins and Porpoises (Paperback)

I lead about a dozen pelagic (offshore) birding boat trips each year off the east coast of the U.S. In the process, I became very interested in identifying the whales and dolphins we were seeing. As a result, I needed to find a decent field guide.

This book is the best field guide to cetaceans that I've seen yet. It does an excellent job of presenting known identification criteria as well as pitfalls. The pictures, measurements, and dive sequences provide a quick reference. The more in-depth text provides the further details needed to confirm an ID or sometimes to explain why your view of a specific animal keeps you from making a positive ID.

This is the one cetacean field guide I recommend to trip participants.