National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World

The National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the Worlddescribes in fascinating detail all 120 species of the world's whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions, manatees, Marine and Sea Otters, and the Polar Bear. Written by a team of experts and featuring more than 320 illustrations, 418 photographs, and 123 maps, this new guide offers more authoritative, up-to-date, and accessible information than any book previously published on the subject. Organized by the four major groups of marine mammalsmarine fissipeds, pinnipeds, cetaceans, and sireniansthe species descriptions include: Full-color paintings, some depicting males and females, juveniles, subspecies, or special features. Color photographs showing appearance in the wild and illustrating typical behaviors. Life history data, including length and weight at various life stages, and life span. Range and habitat text and a full-color range map based on the most current information. Facts about social organization, surface behaviors, swimming, and diving. Information on mating behavior, breeding, and the rearing of young. Details about food items and foraging techniques. Estimates of population in the wild, plus current and historic threats. A general introduction outlines the evolution and taxonomy of marine mammals, distribution, migration, watching guidelines, identification techniques, organizations and laws that protect marine mammals, and more. Introductions to groups include comparative size illustrations, discussion of behaviors particular to the group, and other unique features. A useful illustrated glossary of terms and an index of species names complete the guide. Exquisitely detailed illustrations, stunning photographs, and clearly written text combine to make this an indispensible reference source for marine mammal watchers and anyone interested in the natural world. From the Hardcover edition.

Pieter A. Folkens <i>(illustrator)</i> is widely acknowledged as one of the finest illustrators of marine mammals in the world. He has contributed to many books, including <i>The Sierra Club Handbook of Seals and Sirenians </i>and <i>The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals </i>(Academic Press). He has also designed cetaceans for motion pictures and television, including the films <i>Star Trek IV, Flipper, </i>and<i> Free Willy.</i> He is a founding board member of the Alaska Whale Foundation, a non-profit marine mammal research and conservation organization, and spends his summers in Alaska studying the feeding ecology of Killer and Humpback Whales. Folkens lives in Benicia, California.<br><br>Randall R. Reeves <i>(Sperm Whales, Beaked Whales, River Dolphins, Beluga and Narwhal, Ocean Dolphins,