Book excerpt: A new and fully updated edition of this popular title, which is the definitive guide to watching whales, dolphins and porpoises in British and other European waters. A fascinating introduction to whales and whale watching is followed by a detailed field guide with spectacular illustrations, identification and behaviour tips, dive sequences and distribution maps for all the cetaceans of Europe. The final part of the book provides a comprehensive guide to Europe's major whale watching sites, covering 19 countries in all, from Scotland and Ireland to Spain and Norway. Imagine watching Minke Whales in the light of the midnight sun in Iceland; snorkelling with a wild Bottlenose Dolphin; or sharing a day with a group of Blue Whales against a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped mountains. These are just a few of the whale and dolphin watching experiences now available in different parts of Europe, which is rapidly becoming a hot-spot for this exhilarating activity.