Book excerpt: Despite strong public interest in marine mammals and the incredible popularity of whale watching, particularly in the North Atlantic, many marine mammal populations remain little known. This fully illustrated book is a comprehensive and attractive guide to the marine mammals of the North Atlantic--and the only guide to cover all fifty-one species found there. It offers whale watchers and other marine mammal enthusiasts the means to identify the region's seals, manatees, walrus, and polar bear in addition to its forty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises.Distribution maps for each species complement the 250 striking color illustrations. The straightforward text emphasizes diagnostic features but also covers the behavior, reproduction, feeding, habitat, and migration of these intrinsically fascinating animals. In the process, the book sorts out marine mammal taxonomy, answering such questions as how dolphins and porpoises differ and whether killer whales are really dolphins or whales.As a guide, this book will be invaluable to boaters, divers, shore dwellers, and all who venture into or on North Atlantic water. It will also interest aquarium visitors and anyone who has ever wanted to see a pod of whales, school of dolphins, or society of porpoises in action. * illustrates and depicts the diagnostic features of all 51 marine mammal species occurring in the North Atlantic * gives full coverage to not only whales, dolphins, and porpoises but also seals, manatees, the walrus, and the polar bear * features 250 color illustrations * contains distribution maps for each species and provides information on behavior, reproduction, and feeding for each species * describes the North Atlantic as a habitat for marine mammals * features concise text written by a top expert Carl Christian Kinze is Coordinator and Public Education Officer for the Danish Cetacean Study Network and a former President of the European Cetacean Society. He is a member of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group and has published widely on marine mammals.