Whale-Watching on the Pacific Coast: Easily Identify Whales, Dolphins, and Other Marine Mammals

Identify marine mammals on your whale-watching trips and beach outings along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

Seeing a whale is an experience unlike any other. You wait, you hope, and when a beautiful creature breaks the ocean surface, the moment is as thrilling as it is unforgettable. Whether you're a tourist on vacation or a local resident on a day trip, keep this booklet close at hand. Written by environmental educator and Emmy Award-winning documentary film producer Stan Minasian, it features more than 20 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. When you spot a marine mammal in the Pacific Ocean, check this guide to identify it and learn more about it!

The tabbed booklet is applicable to the coastal waters of California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Alaska. It provides a brief introduction to cetaceans (marine mammals) and outlines what to expect when watching whales from land or while on a cruise. The guide also presents the best land-based locations for whale-watching, organized by state. The pocket-size format is much easier to use than laminated foldouts, and the tear-resistant pages help to make the spiral-bound book durable in the field.

As an added bonus, the guide introduces present-day threats to whales and discusses US laws that help to protect whales, including the Marine Mammals Protection Act. The booklet documents specific requirements that whale-watching vessels must adhere to, like how far away they must remain from various whale species, and it even outlines details about a phone hotline and a smartphone app that you can access if you spot a whale in trouble.

Book Features:

• Pocket-size format--easier than laminated foldouts


• Professional photographs for quick identification


• Whale-watching locations organized by state


• Easy-to-use information for even casual observers


• Suggestions for choosing an eco-friendly whale-watching vessel


• Whale-watching "what to know" and "what to bring" tips from an expert

Stan Minasian is an author, lecturer, Emmy Award-winning documentary film producer, and environmental educator. He has written, edited, and produced 16 documentaries on marine mammal and natural history issues that have been broadcast on Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, Outdoor Life Network, National Geographic TV, Turner Broadcasting Systems, PBS, and internationally.

He is a marine mammal authority, former member of the US Coast Guard Special Forces, certified diver, and surface and underwater cinematographer. Stan is the senior author of The World's Whales: A Complete Illustrated Guide, published by Smithsonian Books.

From his home in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stan has led over 200 whale-watching trips from coastal waters to the Farallon Islands and the Cordell Banks. His educational website to date has had more than 3 million visitors.