Customer Reviews

Sea Turtles: An Extraordinary Natural History of Some Uncommon Turtles

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Sea Turtles: An Extraordinary Natural History of Some Uncommon Turtles, by Blair Witherington, is another great sea turtle book in the tradition of James R. Spotila (Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation). These are not just tabletop books (although the quality of the photographs clearly encourages their display). The ecology, behavior, anatomy, physiology, and biogeography of the seven species of sea turtles is simplified for the layperson without distorting the complicated nature of sea turtle life history. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful.

The strength of this book is the clarity of Witherington's writing as he summarizes sea turtle biology, and the nice sections on each species. The weakness probably is in his discussion of conservation concerns, especially in what the reader can do.

I like to leave a copy of a book on sea turtles with a teacher when I'm invited to give a talk. This is a great book for middle and high school classrooms, and is a great addition to the library of any sea turtle enthusiast.

This captivating portrait of the world's sea turtles has answered just about all the questions I ever had about these mysterious animals. How long do they live? Where do they travel? How do they find their way? What do they eat? How do they make more little sea turtles? And the questions are answered artfully, with gorgeous photos, maps, exquisite illustrations (of each of 7 species), and lively writing that flows with the images. The writing has a sprinkling of unique perspective, humor, and philosophy. Witherington writes about sea turtles as if they were old friends. His description of extinction prospects and conservation left me optimistic rather than depressed. Folks who are real sea turtle heads probably have this information in a lot of different sources, but it's nice to have the sea turtle story together in such a lovely form. I've really become a big fan of sea turtles. I see buying this book for people I'd like to share the feeling.

A beautiful book with lots of full color pictures. The text is thorough and interesting, covering the origins, role in the ecosystem and conservation status of all seven species. The pictures would make this book worthy of coffee table status by their depiction of these peaceful creatures in brilliantly blue waters, but its textual content makes it a solid reference resource. I would highly recommend this book.

I spotted this book at my local library after returning from my first trip to Hawaii. During that trip I snorkeled for the first time, and saw my first sea turtle. I have been in love with them ever since. After checking out the book from the library, I decided I needed my own copy. This book is a great way to learn about these amazing animals. Lots of great information and great photos. Recommended for anyone interested in sea turtles.

This book only makes you love sea turtles more and more ... it's beautiful, educational and absolutely a must if you like or think you're interested in sea turtles