Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic (Corrie Herring Hooks) [Paperback]

Michael H. Tove (Author)

Book Description

Series: Corrie Herring Hooks Series | Publication Date: January 2001

To identify all the air-breathing offshore wildlife potentially encountered on birding, whale-watching, or sport fishing trips at sea, you could take along a stack of field guides--or this one comprehensive guide to all the birds, whales, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles of the Northern Atlantic. Written by a recognized authority on seabirds and whales and illustrated with his finely detailed color paintings, it provides both previously unknown and common field marks to help you identify and enjoy all the offshore wildlife in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Tropic of Cancer, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, and the Bay of Biscay. Michael Tove offers a general introduction to each group of animals, followed by concise accounts of every species found in the Northern Atlantic. He particularly highlights previously undescribed field marks and behavioral patterns that make identification at sea much easier than before. He also includes range/abundance graphs for twelve locations in North America and six in Britain and Europe to help you plan where and when to view particular species. To enhance your day(s) at sea, Tove includes tips on how to dress properly and avoid seasickness and sunburn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

>"... [Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic] is the >first guide dedicated to the Atlantic's offshore wildlife, north of the >tropic of cancer. Not only does it cover all the cetaceans you might >encounter in this area, it also includes seabirds, seals and sea turtles. >Michael Tove writes from considerable first-hand experience--he was the >first person to see a live True's beaked whale--and his expertise is readily >apparent. The book really does help seperate even the most difficult species >from each other."--David Tomlinson, New Scientist, 11 August 2001 " ... will provide a useful reference for anyone going offshore and wanting to consult a single volume when faced with a seabird, marine mammal or sea turtle to identify."--IBIS, April 2002

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292781717
• ISBN-13: 978-0292781719
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,995,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Comprehensive Guidebook for Pelagic Buffs, March 16, 2001

By 

Desmond Tynan (South Hadley, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic (Corrie Herring Hooks) (Paperback)

As an enthusiastic birder and observer of nature, I have found that some of my most memorable moments occur during pelagic (i.e. on the open ocean, away from land) trips. There are many creatures out there that one could spend a lifetime without ever seeing from shore. Until now, if you wanted to try identifying the wildlife you might encounter at sea, you needed a stack of guidebooks - one for mammals, one for birds, one for turtles etc.

Michael Tove's terrific guide has just made things a lot simpler.

Mr. Tove is a well known North Carolina birder, naturalist and organizer of Gulf Stream pelagic trips who has had articles published in various journals on identification of pelagic creatures, including birds and whales.

His guidebook is very comprehensive and well organized. It covers both sides of the North Atlantic, from Greenland to the Caribbean on the west side and Iceland to North Africa on the East.

The wildlife covered includes all the air-breathing vertebrates one might encounter anywhere in the territory covered.

There are separate sections on pelagic birds, whales and dolphins, seals and sea turtles. For each species, there is at least one illustration, excellently done by Mr. Tove, along with information on measurements, identification, behavior, range, distribution and preferred habitat.

Where appropriate, species names from both sides of the Atlantic are given, as with "Dovekie" - North America, "Little Auk" - Europe.

For birds, there are illustrations of different plumages and ages, for whales and dolphins, there are diagrams of surfacing and blow patterns and for every species covered, notes on how to distinguish that species from others with which it might be confused.

There is data on a number of popular pelagic destinations e.g. the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Hudson Canyon off New York harbor, North Carolina's Outer Banks, Scotland's Outer Hebrides plus a half-dozen oceanic islands - The Dry Tortugas, Canary Islands etc. The data sets consist of monthly abundance charts for each species that is reasonably regular at that particular location.

In addition, there is information on oceanic ecology, regions and currents. He also includes tips on how to dress for a trip and how to avoid or cope with seasickness.

There is even a section on how to plan your own pelagic trip, and how to factor in such variables as wind, weather and surface conditions.

There is something in this book for current or would-be pelagic enthusiasts of all levels of experience from novices to "old salts."

I recommend it highly.