Marine Life Books

I work on a small passenger ship, and we always keep a copy of this book on the bridge for mammal sightings. The photos are great, as are the overview charts showing comparative sizes. The descriptions of behavior give people some insight into the lives of these wonderful creatures.

This book is really great as it's full of very informative and interesting facts as well lots of colour photos and every species mentioned is illustrated. Excellent.

This is the only book we use on the Monterey Peninsula to go out whale watching with. It identifies quickly and covers all the marine mammals. Perfect field guide.

This books is very informational. I have gotten a lot of information from it and the pictures are fabulous! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Marine Mammals. My daughter wants to be a Marine Biologist/Marine Mammal Trainer and this book gave her all the right information at the right time.

Audubon has certainly delivered their best in this marine life field guide! When I bought this, I expected it to be the usual good Audubon repeat of their previous field guides. I was quite impressed by the number of species inserted, and the special illustrations used along with it. There are a surprising number of families and subspecies listed also.
The whales and dolphins section is the best part of the guide, listing rare and endangered species. I don't suspect anyone has heard of the "Tucuxi" dolphin, have they? Rather than just listing commonly seen or normal species, Audubon has done extensive research on others, and has inserted dozens or more in each family section, making identification completely unmistakable. The seals and sea lions covered are no different in variety and number of listings. However, many of the seals listed are subspecies of 6 previous listings.
The binding is usual quality by Audubon publishers, making an excellent reading book, whether on a boat trip, in a car, or simply in an easy chair at home. Forget other Marine Mammal Guides, and make an extensive search for this!

This book is easy to use, yet provides the information that you need. Its color pictures make it easy to identify the coral that you see in the book out in the field.

For scuba divers, these volumns are unparalleled. There is so much to see under the sea and so many corals look very similar. Paul does an excellent job of helping you differentiate among species. Of course you have to use your memory or your camera to compare it to the guide book after the dive, cause the book does not tolerate depth very well. ;) Highly recommended book!

A field guide to coral, especially by Paul Humann, is essential to your collection of ocean field guides. Hundreds of coral species are listed, including: sea fans, hard corals, soft corals, and mushroom corals. The book also explains the many diseases that possibly afflict many species. The coral entries have excellent, detailed explanations beside them, concerning species depth, range, and abundance. The photograph transfers are above average, showing enough of the coral for identification purposes. The photographs are of course very beautiful, containing various, colorful hues of these animals. Buy the waterproof, annotated version of Reef Coral ID to bring along in the ocean on a scuba diving trip. The book has been updated twice since it was published, with the original print still floating around here on Amazon.com. The second edition is far superior, containing many more listings and more beautiful photos. Completely essential field guide for a private collection.

Don't take my word for it, go to a handful of dive shops and this author's name will come up more than once. An excellent book, I haven't come across anything I like better. The others in this family are just as good.

This Reef Coral Identification book is THE definitive guide. In brief there is not a better guide out there. It thoroughly covers each type of coral and gives identification information as well as full color photographs. In addition to all the corals it covers other plant life likely to be encountered while snorkeling or diving. These include grasses, weeds, algae and coral diseases. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book. For each item the book also discusses any danger to divers that the particular coral may represent (such as fire coral).

This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Fish Identification and Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Coral Identification book.

I have been reading everything I can find about the gray whale since I am visiting them in San Ignacio, Baja, Mexico in early February. I found this book to be the most informative for someone who is truly interested in how gray whale conservation evolved especially from the standpoint of how politics influences conservation efforts. Fortunately for the gray whale, the Mexican government had enough proponents to stop the Mitsubishi salt mining from expanding. And Mexico is the ONLY COUNTRY which has outlawed gray whale harvesting. If you are visting the gray whales in Baja, this is a definite must read!

I just returned from touring Baja and experiencing the magnificent gray whale. Serge Dedina spent a significant amount of time researching the content; he succinctly conveys the history of politics and conservation in Baja California in this book. After visiting the same places he lived, and experiencing the people, environment and Gray Whale, I can attest to the fact that Dedina's work is dead-on accurate. Reading this will save you months of research. And, if you are fortunate enough to travel to Baja, I can guarantee you will come away wanting more, and wishing you had done your homework.

This book, along with Sightings: The Gray Whales' Mysterious Journey
by Linda Hogan & Brenda Peterson, are required reading for anyone planning to do gray whale watching in Mexico. It is based on the reality of how Mexican politics, not conservationism, determined the perservation of these wonderful animals in Mexico. Most people are not aware that Mexico is the ONLY country in North America that has outlawed gray whale harvesting.

This book combines a captivating portrait of the whales and the people of southern Baja with a well-documented political analysis of the challenges involved in conservation. Plus, it's a great read.

(From Planeta Journal) - For the past several years, one of Mexico's most pressing environmental controversies was whether or not the Mexican government and the Mitsubishi Corporation should develop a new salt mining operation within the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, one of the world's four breeding areas for gray whales. A candid text, Saving the Gray Whale provides an engaging capsule history of whale conservation in Mexico and a timely review of environmental politics.

In fact, the timing could not be more opportune for this book. Within a month of publication, the plans for the salt operation were cancelled. For readers who are only now learning about this issue, this book is an excellent resource.

Saving the Gray Whale is a must-read book for whale watchers and readers interested in Mexican environmental issues. The candid tone stems from the author's travels and research in Baja, not to mention dizzying trips to Mexico City, where the labyrinths of political power stray far from efficiency. The author combines analysis from historical reports, planning meetings and from encounters on the road or from a kayak paddled across San Ignacio Lagoon.

This book is a treasury of little-known facts ("Gray whales are not gray") and a straightforward review of environmental politics in Mexico -- at least as far as the government is concerned. The list of players is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental issues! Unfortunately, it does not have the same depth when it reviews how the conservation groups ("Non-Governmental Organizations") operate. Is the "Grupo de los 100" really Mexico's "most influential" environmental group? Likewise, what do The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund do in Mexico? Reports are kept hush and the author doesn't seem to question the lack of transparency.

I bought this book a long time ago and it still is my favorite one pertaining to its subject. It's filled with information and gorgeous photography. Various species of sharks are clearly identified, described, and portrayed, and facts are given about diving locales around the world as well. I've always loved rays and no other book has told me as much about them as this one. The chapters on rays are wonderful and very beautifully illustrated. This book is highly interesting and impressive. I recommend it.

I just bought this book and I love it. It has a lot of very interesting imformation. It gives a great over view of sharks and rays, it tells you the basics of everything you would ever want to know about these magnificent animals. It also gives you tips on how to encounter them and how to act around them in their habitats. The photographs in this book are fantastic. It has hundreds of great color pictures. This book is very well written and very interesting. I am really enjoying this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of sharks and rays.

The Nature Company's Guide to sharks and rays is a well written introduction to this group of truly wonderful creatures. It is not the best book, but if you have an interest it should be in your library. It will be especially useful to the teen reader or marine naturalist/hobbyist. The photography and illustrations are beautiful and informative. The write ups on individual species, while not all inclusive to any particular group or geographic area are great. They cover some little known but fascinating animals. My only complaint is that it's a little TO visual, it tends to rely on the graphic to make points over the text and is a little short on newer science. But this may be a plus for the new student of marine biology. If you or an friend has an interest in fishes in general or elasmobranchs in particular you want this book.

We bought this book as a Christmas gift for our 12 year old daughter who is fascinated with sharks. What a gem!!! We keep it on the coffee table now as a reference book. Every time an undersea show comes on, someone grabs the book to look up whatever they discuss. This book is full of great information and incredible photographs. Anyone interested in the ocean MUST get this book. We are all certified scuba divers and it is especially valuable to us for identifications, habitats and habits of sharks and rays, and general information which we need to know when siting one of these marvelous creatures!!

What an excellent, well organized reference source for anyone interested in sharks, and especially for scuba divers looking for a good identification book.

Of all the shark books I've reviewed, this one tops my list and is recommended to readers of my web site.

What a pleasure to finally read this classic book. I grew up loving Cousteau's television programs. Ultimately, I became a diver because of Cousteau.

This is adventure writing at its best. Cousteau was always a master storyteller. That was probably more instrumental to his success than his bravery, innovativeness, or his ability as a diver. This book is a collection of Cousteau's experiences with early scuba. He masterfully captures the awe, the fear, the struggles, and the sense of adventure of the first years of scuba.

I love adventure writing, but sometimes great adventurers are not great writers. Cousteau was both. If you have an interest in Cousteau or in scuba diving, this book is a must read.

As promised in the title, in this book Jacques Cousteau reveals a new world of unanticipated beauty, fittingly described in his charming, French-influenced English phraseology. C. Blickenstorfer has done a fine job explaining the contents of this book, particularly as it relates to divers or those interested in diving history. However, The Silent World, read as a frontier narrative, also has relevance for anyone interested in our current and historical treatment of the ocean.

Humans have interacted with the ocean for ages, but before divers like Cousteau it was a blind interaction, a grasp at resources based on guesses and historical results. Cousteau's underwater observations of trawl-net fishing make clear the change of ideology his "aqualung" opened to humans. Watching the net destroy grasses on the ocean floor, Cousteau reports "Man's method of undersea farming seemed to consist of blighting the acre while reaping a small part of the crop" (48). As opposed to a history of blind grabs at ocean creatures, Cousteau's aqualung gives him the capacity to see without touching, and his narrative provides a chance for our knowledge to begin catching up to our know-how.

Another epiphany facilitated by the aqualung is a completely new set of fears and a new evaluation of old "monsters." The killers of which Cousteau writes are nitrogen in his blood and clams with shells sharp enough to sever air pipes. On the contrary, the octopus, demonized by Victor Hugo as a monster who will suck out a man's innards, shows itself as harmless and shy. Cousteau concludes his chapter "Monsters We Have Met" with a jocularity that is persistent in the work: "If none have eaten us, it is perhaps because they have never read the instructions so generously provided in marine demonology" (222).

Cousteau's reinterpretation of the ocean brings readers to the fundamental questions of humans and their environment. How are we going to think of this new space? Should we sell it as new realty? Militarize it? Farm it? Should we simply Keep Out in a quest to guard some portion of the earth against ourselves? Those from my generation who have mythologized Cousteau as a heroic conservationist might struggle with Cousteau's narrative. This is not the work of a dolphin-hugger. Cousteau writes of his exploits kidnapping an endangered monk seal pup in his desire for an aquatic hunting dog (the seal almost dies and is given to a zoo) and bludgeoning most large sea creatures who get close enough. This includes wounding a captured porpoise to watch sharks eat it alive, an act which he justifies with "It was cruelty to an animal but we were involved in a serious study [. . .] and had to carry it out" (234).
In his conclusion, Cousteau asserts "Obviously man has to enter the sea. There is no choice in the matter. The human population is increasing so rapidly and land resources are being depleted at such a rate, that we must take sustenance from the great cornucopia" (266). Both those who would agree with this 1950s assumption and those who believe this "cornucopia" has been already overexploited can gain insight from this book as a well-written record of human reactions to the new world under the waves.

As a diver for long years, I remember the old b&w tv days, when we find happiness with Cousteau's documentary films. Now it's a mirracle to be able to purchase the whole collection in DVD format.

As great a read today as it must have been over 50 years ago. Being a modern day technical and recreational dive instructor I still find this book a fascinating read and would recommend it to all ages to divers and non divers alike.

What can be said about Jacques Cousteau and his groundbreaking book that hasn't been said a thousand times? He is undoubtedly the defining figure of modern scuba diving, his books, films, and documentaries known to millions or billions. Even the name of his ship, the Calypso, is known the world over. It's a small volume, this book, just 160 pages, yet it's absolutely mandatory reading for anyone interested in what Cousteau termed "the silent world" under the surface of the water that covers 71% of our planet. The Silent World is the bible of modern scuba diving.

Jacques Cousteau himself died in 1997 at the age of 87, but the legacy of his pioneering work with diving and diving physiology lives on. It is all well documented and disseminated worldwide, thanks to this French explorer's unique combination of instinctive understanding of the world under the surface and his equally unique knack of spellbinding the world with his words and images. A total master of public relations and getting the word out, Cousteau managed to grab attention and media coverage wherever he went. Critics went so far as suggesting his media talents exceeded his actual contributions to understanding the seas.

At first it's hard to figure out why this slim volume became such a success. It's not a textbook, it doesn't cover the history of diving or even much of Cousteau's own research, and it's not an adventure book. Though Cousteau was French, he wrote The Silent World in English as he had attended American schools in his youth, widely traveled the US, and, of course, extensively lectured in his enchanting French-accented English. Yet, The Silent World clearly reveals its author's non-English origin and decidedly "non-English" thinking. The writing, while precise, often suggests that Cousteau frequently described a word or concept that existed in his native French, but did not directly translate into English. As a result, the writing at times seems a bit flowery and, well, foreign, and you need to read a sentence or paragraph two or three times to figure out what it actually means. Cousteau's liberal use of metaphors, artistic nuances, poetic concepts and words that have since fallen out of currrent language only serve to make The Silent World even more unusual of a literary treat.

Anyone looking for technical explanations, precise history, a logical flow of events, or anything one might expect from a world-famous documentary maker and researcher will not find it in this book. The Silent World is a totally unique, very compressed tale flowing from Cousteau's mind. Read half a chapter and you know the man; he's a unique combination of inspired philosophical observer and gifted researcher with uncanny intuition. While others conducted their research methodically and ploddingly, Cousteau always just seemed to know what to expect, how to behave, and what to seek and avoid to make it all seem easy. He and his close associates and friends Phillipe Tailliez and Frederic Dumas used their "aqualung" to experient liberally in sort of a "Hmmm.... this is probably what will happen, let's go check it out!" approach.

Using this, Cousteau describes the difference between "helmet divers" and the newly liberated users of their "aqualung" -- what we now know as air tanks and regulators. The book casually touches on all the principles of diving physics and physiology, the stuff we learn in our PADI and NAUI classes. He describes sea life, how it reacts, where it lives, how it behaves, and what is dangerous and what is not. They see just how deep they can go. They check how colors change. What nitrogen does and why we need recompression chambers. He offers his views on treasure hunting (not worth it; if you find real treasure authorities and hordes of lawyers will soon apprehend it). He reports on atrocities he witnessed underwater, like the needless destruction of corals and cruel killing of fish. He debunks myths of sea monsters, seeks answers to geological phenomena such as the Fountain of Vaucluse near Avignon, one that almost cost him and Dumas their lives in a pioneering effort at extreme cave diving. He describes what fish do and how they react. And sea mammals and other sea critters. Sharks remain an enigma to Cousteau as his conclusion is that you simply cannot understand or predict them.

So The Silent World relates, in 14 fascinating self-contained chapters, pretty much everything we know about diving today, 60 years after Cousteau began researching as a "manfish," all the principles we know, and it's all neatly and attractively presented in tales that always mix research with adventure. Cousteau never preaches or lectures. He just explores, pushes, interprets, and reports. Maybe Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a showman as much as a researcher. If so, good for him as otherwise we may never have had the opportunity to learn from him and enjoy his remarkable insights. -- C. H. Blickenstorfer, scubadiverinfo.com

This book is very good, I have recomended Child of the Wolves (also by Elizabeth Hall) to my friend and she found out this other book in the libaray. She read it in a concert, (nauty nauty) but it was truely very good. It's the way Elizabeth Hall makes you think you are a part of the book or how she can express an animal's feelings.

GOOD, NO GREAT BOOK!

As a young child, I fell in love with the vivid images in this book, the bright colors of the undersea world between the pages. For children, 'Venus' offers a look at another world, with different values, morals, and priorities. Now, years later, I still have it, and still enjoy going back and reading it. I highly suggest this, especially for children who show even a slight interest in dolphins, or the ocean in general.

This book i found at a local book store and read it. It is my favorite book i have every read. It is so well written and a good plot. The resion I am on amazon.com and on this books page is to buy it hardcover and add it to me favorite book library. If you are thinking about buying this book buy it.

****
THE BEST BOOK REVIEW

Killer whales trap a herd of dolphins. They send two young dolphins to get help. They get trapped at a Sea World place and meet some friends.
I liked this book because it is exciting and you donýt know what will happen next. The characters were fun, protective, and brave. I liked all them. The setting was great. It was in an ocean where colorful reefs and fish live. It was easy to read and it was good. My rating for this book is four stars.

As a second grade teacher I am always looking for books to read to my class that can help them relate to the subject I am currently teaching. When looking for a book to read during our ocean unit I came across Venus Among the Fishes. My kids love it. When I stop reading for the day they beg me to continue. I warn the kids that several parts are sad and often I find my kids crying along with me. I have recommended this book to several co-workers and they have all thanked me.

Satisfy your literary and scientific interest in whales--and it is a select few who have both--with Payne's fantastic and sadly out-of-print book.

By way of a deeper wrinkle, it should also be pointed out that Payne is (allegedly) a good friend of Cormac McCarthy, whose novel "Blood Meridian" has been characterized as the twentieth century's answer to "Moby Dick." At some point in the last twenty-five years, McCarthy wrote a (still unpublished) screenplay called "Whales and Men," which includes a character believed to be based on Payne. (McCarthy is credited in "Among Whales.") So, two literary strands, Melville and McCarthy, and one scientific one, cetology, are smoothly wound in Payne's book. Used copies abound.

Roger Payne brings up issuses that this world is going to have to deal with in the years to come. His passion for cetaceans shows through in every page, I encourage everyone to read this masterpeice!

If you have wondered about the beauty of these mammals, then you must read this book. Roger Payne shares the wonders of the graceful aminals. If you care for them at all, then you are foolish not to read this book. It has really bought me closer to who they really are.

This was a marvelous read although its flaws were sometimes predictable. I will try to minimize references to the flaws because the book was generally a joy to read. Payne has spent his passion on whales and presents a treasure trove of information, about the behavior, history, plight, and politics of the great cetaceans. Where he sticks to empirical science (which fortunately is most of the book), the eminent whale biologist takes the reader along on a wonder-filled journey beneath the waves. Accounts of his personal life fit nicely with accounts of his work. The reader comes to feel that, in some sense, he knows right whales and humpbacks, and knows Mr. Payne. The insights into the psychology, economics and politics of whaling are fascinating and troubling and are issues with which more people should have some familiarity.
The book is so good that I almost hate to offer any detracting comments, but in the interest of truth I must: (1.) Payne assigns a kind of well-intended and hopeful 'happy face' to zoological and marine parks. Yes, zoos and marine parks do educate the public, but that education is primarily this -- that wild animals make excellent and profitable corporate merchandise. For compelling counterpoint read Jack Turner's The Abstract Wild. (2.) Payne's metaphysical musings are too typical of a large number of biologists. Gaia is not science; it is a philosophy of aesthetics similar to aboriginal pantheism. The concept of "collectively immortal" biology presents the conclusion that, as Payne says, Life is god. It makes for a pleasant enough concept until it is subjected to critical analysis. Some priests of biology should (collectively?) think a little deeper. One needn't adopt a Star Trek religion or a form of shamanism to respect bio-diversity. Assailing Christianity because it was the claimed practice of "God fearing" and blood thirsty sea captains is as logically dubious as attacking biological science because it was the claimed practice of a Dr. Josef Mengele, is the claimed practice of the Japanese "scientific" whaling industry, and is in fact the practice of developers of biological warfare agents. The evil besetting nature is not theism, it is holy capitalism, saint self-interest, a god called greed, and hard-hearted indifference. In short, small minded selfishness. Most scientists, including Payne, are at their best when they stick with science (although the mathematical sciences have lent the world some excellent philosophers).
All nay-saying aside, this is a book well worth reading.

I am astonished that this book is out of print. How can this be? Why aren't people using it as a textbook in writing, psychology, ethics and marine biology classes? Why aren't high schools and universities clamouring to have Roger Payne speak at their commencement exercises? Why isn't he being interviewed by Oprah and Good Morning America? Why isn't the name Roger Payne as familiar to us as Jacques Cousteau or Keiko the whale? Believe me, it should be.

Roger Payne is a cetacean scientist - that is to say he studies whales - however that doesn't begin to tell you about what he really does or who he really is. You see, Roger Payne swims up to Right Whales and looks them in the eye. He hangs upside down next to Humpback whales in order to experience their bone shaking songs up close. He spends hundredsd of hours a year on boats watching and recording the movements, behaviors and songs of whales. Best of all, Roger Payne has stories to tell about another world that exists beyond land. He knows and can prove, for example, that Humpback whales sing. Yes sing. Not simply make sounds but create rhythm, patterns and notes in sequences that put some of our greatest composers to shame. He has stories to tell of his encounters with whales that make it abundantly clear that they think, feel and communicate. In short Roger Payne has something to teach us about our relationship to another species on this planet, and we should be listening.

But if you're not the sort to read a book just because it would be good for you, read it because Payne is a fine writer whose stories are well told and fascinating, and whose scientific explanations are so clear that even the most scientifically-challenged person can follow. Read it because it will enchant you with its descriptions of whales at play and captivate you with its studies of why whales do what they do. Read it because it will challenge your mind and touch your heart. It's that good.

This is an amazing book! Makes me want to take up scuba diving. I've never seen such good 3D, not to mention that it's real photos from underwater with incredible colors. Get this book! And I'm going to go get the rest of the books by this author.

The publisher has unfortunately tried to market these fabulous works as childrens books (not that they aren't wonderful for kids as well), but these photos are truely amazing both in the quality of the photography, but also in the presentation. They are printed on very high quality coated paper with a STURDY set of lenses built right into the hard cover, which allows you to view them in all their splendor without any additional equipment.

These are not red/blue lenses! The images are presented in true color stereo pairs and when viewed, merge into a single, dynamic 3D image - WOW! I can't say enough about the overall quality of viewing for ADULTS as well as children.

The price is another thing that confuses me. I don't know why these are so inexpensive? I urge anyone who loves nature to buy all of the books in this series!

I ordered this book primarily for the benefit of my 7 year old son. We're doing a research project on oceans, and while we have a few good resources, I felt this one, with its 3d imagery, would more likely capture and hold his attention. What I didn't realize was how thoroughly it would capture and hold mine. For me, 3D had always meant multicolored plastic glasses and headaches. Though the book was described as stereoscopic, I didn't understand what that meant. Stereography was something new for me, even if as a form of photography it is over 150 years old.

This is not a matter of red and blue separations; the 3D results from the human eye's trick of blending 2 photos taken (simultaneously) an eye's width apart. Photographer Mark Blum is a pioneer in the art of underwater 3d photography, and his work is beautifully displayed here. Everyone I've shown this book to has been fascinated by it, and I fully expect that when we've finished with our project the book will find its way to permanent display in my home.

BENEATH THE SEA IN 3-D

I highly recommended this book for school children and adults alike.

I was introduced to one of Blum's books by a friend and liked it so much that I sought out and bought all of his 3D books. I find the price so reasonable that I've since bought more to give as gifts.

I enjoy looking at the 3-D photos as much as my seven year old son so I already know several adults as well as children who will be getting this book as a gift.

The technical quality of the photos and printing of the books is very good. A magnifying, stereo viewer is built into a unique bi-fold cover of the book A little research showed that this idea is well over a hundred years old (like stereo photography) but I still find it very innovative because it is so rare and unusual.

The photographer has an inspired eye and top technical skill. The underwater photography is amazing. I think the dimension of the ocean really goes well with 3D photos. The colors and forms of the undersea world show so amazingly well in 3D and Blum went all over the world making these photos.

The writing accompanying each image adds to the photos with just the right amount of scientific and general information to serve both young and old reader. I like this book very much and I hope you find this review helpful. I recommend looking for the other 3-D books by Blum. They are all great!

Everybody that has seen my copy of Beneath the Sea in 3-D is entranced by it. The superb quality of the photography alone is worth the money. But add the astounding 3-D effect and it is just plain irresistible. My kids love it (ages 7, 11 and 17), and I love it. Great for all ages. The captions add fascinating facts about the animals and the circumstances of the photos. This is a great book! I'm ordering Mark Blum's other books, too! By all means, buy it!

"Brittle Stars..." was the first of Lichen's "Uncommon Field Guide" series I discovered. They are all uncommonly delightful to poke into. One can read them chapter-by-chapter or just open the book anywhere and delve in. I picked up this one to add to my school's marine biology collection. After scanning it, I bought a second copy for myself. After reading part of it, I ordered the other two books in the series. Recently I showed one of the guides to a friend who is a lifelong outdoorsman. He immediately purchased a set for himself. She gives the reader the sort of understanding about nature one usually only finds in going on a field tour with a great guide. My only complaint is that there is not one of Feltner's lovely detailed illustrations with every single chapter.

What could have been a very dry, factual book about marine life turned out to be a book filled with interesting info about northwest marine life and a writing style that isn't just data. I bought the book to use with teenagers and, because of their great interest in anything sexual, I told them, tongue in cheek, the first chapter they should read is the one about dragonflies and damsels. LOL It was hilarious. This is the number one book of interest about local marine life as far as I'm concerned.

Patricia Lichen's Brittle Stars & Mudbugs truly is an uncommon field guide. Newly relocated to the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound area I have half-filled a bookshelf with the more traditional field guide. Those, with their high quality photos or detailed drawings, I use to key out the fine distinctions between hard to discern animals and plants.

When I want pure enjoyment exploring Puget Sound's natural environs I bring out Lichen's book. Her conversational writing style and twinkle-in-the-eye wit along with her obvious love for her subject matter breath life into whatever she describes. Linda Feltner's illustrations are ideally suited for this book and enhance the pleasurable reading. As soon as I finish writing this review I am ordering her two other books on the Northwest.

This delightful little book is an absolute pleasure to read. It fits nicely in the hand, the pages are easy to read, and the illustrations are gentle and lovingly drawn. The author tells you stories about these animals, plants and algae the way she would if you were walking with her along the beach and came across each specimin. It's not ordered by phylum or habitat, but apparently randomly, which ensures that you won't tire of reading all about fish, but instead will move quickly to birds and seaweed and echinoderms and back.

I live on the beach, and volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, and these stories help me tell compelling stories to audiences and friends of all ages. They bring the funny objects you see on the beach to life, and make each animal or plant that you see seem a friend, a neighbor, someone whose life you care about. This should slow your steps on the beach, so that you will see the life around you more clearly, and should increase your commitment to conservation and cleanup. It's tough to abuse a neighborhood that you care about, and Patricia and Linda bring these organisms close to you so that you will care about them.

As an earlier reviewer pointed out, this is not a field guide that will help you identify what you see -- it is one that will help you understand what you see, and that's what makes it uncommon and (in my opinion) so very special.

Thanks to the author and illustrator for such a magnificent addition to my library of field guides and books on biology. This one is a treasure.

I bought two of the books in the 3 book series. The writing is excellent, however, what good is a "field guide" if illustrations are not included for all of the featured plants and animals? If the publisher is ever going to consider a new edition, perhaps this could be taken into consideration. I will keep these books, however still look for a "Field Guide" that offers more reference material.

This author is a natural and gifted storyteller. With a deft and light touch, she gives her readers an intimate tour of the habitat she shares with a family of dolphins. Her voice is fresh, true, unembellished -- similar to the clean and effortless lyricism one sometimes encounters in Native American literature. I recommend this book to children and adults who value "the friendlies" who walk, swim, fly and play among us.

This delightful book will please naturalists, children and all lovers of dolphins. What's amazing are the personal relationships formed between the author and wild dolphins, each with it's own unique personality. Terrific book.

Muriel's encounters with the dolphins of Savannah River are a true gift to readers of all ages. She gives her readers amazing insights to the behavior and individual personailties of dolphins. Muriel allows her readers to come with her, in Buttercup, and meet her dolphin friends ... truly magical encounters! A must read for all dolphin lovers.

I loved this book - read it all in one night - and highly recommend it to anyone over the age of 8. I felt closer and closer to both the dolphins and the author as their journey together unfolded. Am looking forward to the sequel!

This story helps us find out our fit on this planet we are lucky enough to occupy. More and better pictures would be a big plus. It is a "quick read" but the thoughts linger.