Customer Reviews

Field Guide to the Gray Whale

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I used the book while I researching about Gray Whales for a science term paper and it had lots of good info.

One of my favorite hiking memories involves exploring Point Reyes National Seashore for the first time the morning after Christmas, 2004. The day was crisp and clear, with a slight breeze, and the park was quite crowded that day. Like all new tourists to the park, I went to the famous Point Reyes Lighthouse for my first stop. It was very nearly my last too. On the way down the stairs to the lighthouse I came across a large number of whale watchers scanning the ocean and breathlessly joined them as we observed one gray whale after another making its way along the coast. From the steps above the lighthouse we were able to clearly see the spouts, flukes, and occasional soundings of these magnificent creatures. It was hours before I could pull myself away. I was hooked on whale watching then and there.

If you are interested in watching the California Gray Whales as they make their thousand mile migrations from Alaska to Baja California, by all means get this relatively inexpensive guidebook. As a previous reviewer noted, it has a lot of information, including facts about the migration and the whale's life cycle. You will also learn how to distinguish whales by the type of spout they produce, and what has been done to protect California Gray Whales and bring them back from near extinction.

The book also offers plenty of advice for where and when to see Gray Whales, as well as rules for traveling with them in private boats. Now that I have read the guide (and been on a few whale watching cruises) I plan to visit Baja in the winter. As the author notes, only in the calving grounds of San Ignacio Lagoon can one truly get up close and personal with these creatures. If you want to know when and where to have similar experiences, by all means get this guide. It is a quick and inexpensive way to add to your whale watching pleasure.