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Whelks to Whales: Coastal Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest
Newly Revised and Expanded Second Edition
Rick M. Harbo
Harbour Publishing Co., Ltd., 2011
Madeira Park, BC

The first edition of Whelks to Whales has been our go-to reference for all the strange and colorful creatures we find in tide pools. We usually bring it with us on our expeditions and look at it as soon as possible.

The second edition is larger by more than 80 pages. Particularly of interest to us was a new section on egg cases, which allowed us to specify the squid egg mass as being those of the opal squid. That alone was reason enough to snap it up.

In addition to the new section, the book as a whole is better designed and laid out, with a more readable typeface. Many species have new information, whether updated population surveys (the first edition was published in 1999), new research data, or a more detailed description. There were also new species in almost every section I checked.

The photographs are largely the same, but they were good in the first edition. However, there were many different and new photographs, and not just of new species.

All in all, this is a genuine revision and update, and well worth buying even if you have the first edition.

Mirrored from Nature Intrudes. Please comment over there.