Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast

Two-thirds of our planet lies out of sight of land, just offshore beyond the horizon. What wildlife might you find out there? And how might you identify what you see? This Offshore Sea Life ID Guide, designed for quick use on day trips off the West Coast, helps you put a name to what you see, from whales and dolphins to albatrosses, turtles, and even flyingfish. Carefully crafted color plates show species as they typically appear at sea, and expert text highlights identification features. This user-friendly field guide is essential for anyone going out on a whale-watching or birding trip, and provides a handy gateway to the wonders of the ocean.

Introduction 5
Acknowledgments 11
Some Words Explained 11
Marine Mammals 12
Killer Whale (Orca) 12
Whales 14
Dolphins and Porpoises 18
Sea Lions, Fur Seals, and Elephant Seal 22
Rarer Marine Mammals 24
Seabirds 26
Albatrosses 26
Shearwaters and Fulmar 28
Storm-Petrels 32
Phalaropes 35
Alcids 36
Red-billed Tropicbird 40
Brown Booby 40
South Polar Skua 41
Jaegers 42
Gulls and Terns 44
Rarer Seabirds 46
Other Sea Life 50
Fish (sunfish, sharks, flyingfish) 50
Sea Turtles 52
Jellyfish, Krill, etc. 52
Kelp (seaweed) 54
Landbirds 54
Species Codes, Scientific Names, and Index 55