| Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic (Corrie Herring Hooks) | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael H. Tove
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Category: Book
List Price: £21.50
Buy New: £19.35
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Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 652439
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 7.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0292781717
Dewey Decimal Number: 591.7731
EAN: 9780292781719
ASIN: 0292781717
Publication Date: March 1, 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
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| Customer Reviews:
Offshore Wildlife September 29, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This beautifully illustrated guide gives comprehensive coverage of the air breathing pelagic wildlife of the North Atlantic. Much more than a field guide, it provides useful background material for the serious marine wildlife enthusiast, with a concise overview of ocean habitats and ecology, including latitudinal ecological zones, ocean depth and distance from the shore, ocean currents, seasonal changes and weather. There is an easily referenced information section on the distribution and abundance of various species in the form of range abundance charts for 18 locations, based on typical boat trips, a useful planning aid for watching marine wildlife. Tove discusses the comfort considerations of offshore trips such as adequate clothing and avoiding seasickness as well as coping with the vagaries of the weather. Unusually, the diversity of pelagic air breathing animals are covered by a single guide book, and as Tove states in his preface, ‘there is a commonality among all these marine creatures that is shared with its venturesome observers: they are all at sea together.’ I find this viewpoint refreshing when, traditionally, field guides have focused on particular groups of species. Whale-watchers for instance can be equally enthralled by the sighting of a bird or seal and will find identification easier with this guide, which is adequately detailed for the majority of offshore wildlife observers. Many marine animals are notoriously difficult to observe and identify at sea, not least because of constant motion and the generally brief appearances of marine inhabitants, which are frustratingly lacking in contrast against the sea surface. Tove has admirably eased the task with descriptions and illustrations of surfacing patterns and surfacing behaviour for cetaceans and illustrations of both dorsal and ventral views of many birds in flight as well as descriptions of flight behaviour. Animals are also grouped according to common features such as size, colouring or type of dorsal fin and are contrasted with species they are most likely to be confused with. An excellent field guide I will not only use on my own offshore trips, but would happily recommend to other marine wildlife enthusiasts.
Ruth. E. Searle
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