Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises

The Little Guides

by Mark Carwardine

A guide to whales, dolphins and porpoises ranging from the Common Dolphin to the Killer Whale. It features over 900 photos, annotations and descriptions highlighting chief characteristics and distinguishing marks which help you to identify different whale, dolphin or porpoise species quickly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Nature, Reference, Biology, Field Guides

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1992

About the author

Mark Carwardine is a British conservationist, wildlife photographer, author, broadcaster and wildlife tour guide, best known for his work on Last Chance to See. In 1989, he joined writer Douglas Adams on expeditions to document endangered species around the world, resulting in a BBC Radio 4 series and their 1990 book. In 2009, he revisited the project with Stephen Fry for a BBC television series, examining the fate of threatened animals two decades later. Their visit to a New Zealand kākāpō colony became internationally famous when a male parrot named Sirocco attempted to mate with Carwardine's head. Carwardine has written more than fifty books, including Last Chance to See: In the Footsteps of Douglas Adams (2009), Shark Watcher's Handbook and several guides to whales, dolphins and porpoises. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, and he writes a monthly column for BBC Wildlife magazine. He presented the BBC Radio 4 program Nature for many years and co-presented television programs including The Museum of Life and Last Chance to See: Return of the Rhino. His wildlife photography spans all seven continents and more than a hundred countries. He chaired the judging panel for Wildlife Photographer of the Year for seven years, beginning in 2005. A founding director of the wildlife travel company Discover the World, he now leads wildlife-watching and photography trips, particularly whale-watching tours.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 15, 2pm ~~ Review asap.

May 16, 245pm ~~ I ordered this book after I finished re-reading Moby Dick late last year. I was intrigued by the general whale information Melville gives in that book, and I wanted to learn more. It was fun to dip into as I sailed along with Captain Joshua Slocum in his book Sailing Alone Around the World.

This is a very easy to understand book, and with tons of fascinating details. I never realized the huge variety of cetaceans in the world. Made me sad to think how stupid Man has been towards these amazing creatures.

There was one entry titled Unidentified Beaked Whale. The entry says that this whale is only known from some sightings at sea, that unlike other types of beaked whale, the UBW has never been so polite as to strand itself on a beach somewhere to let Man have a good look at its dead body. So the whole description of the UBW is very 'tentative' according to the book.

I think that is marvelous. Nature deserves to keep some mystery. Man doesn't have to know every little detail and turn every creature into a study for science. Yes, it is important to know and understand other creatures, but it seems to me that all Man thinks of is exploiting them for whatever he can get, ultimately destroying everything in the long run.

I hope the Unidentified Beaked Whale stays unidentified forever!

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview with tons of detailed pics. Excellent book for someone wanting to recognize these amazing creatures at sea. Recommended

[Lewis Woolston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around where i live in Port Lincoln South Australia i often see Dolphins in the bay and off the coast. I've wondered what particular type they are and what they do, where they go, that sort of thing. So i found this book at the library and decided to give it a read.
This is probably the most complete, yet portable, book on the subject you're ever likely to find. Good illustrations, packed full of information, everything you need to know is here.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been fortunate enough to see dolphins a few times, but have not yet seen a whale. Should I ever be lucky enough to do so then I am going to need this book with me. They are not the easiest animals to spot. This new authoritative and up-to-date guide by Mark Carwardine and a significant number of whale experts and biologists around the world have packed it with detailed colour illustrations and helpful identification tips.

For a field guide, it is utterly beautiful to look at, almost too good to take on a boat where it will probably get wet! That said, you really need to have this with you if you have the opportunity to go whale watching. The information is clear and concise, and they have picked details that may help you identify the glimpses that you are most likely to get in the oceans. I thought it was a top-notch guidebook.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Sharks: Silent Hunters of the Deep, I would have spent hours altogether of my childhood gazing over these magnificent pictures. There was one image of a Baleen whale drifting gently through the water, smiling at the photographer, that I was almost entranced by. I would love to find this book - guessing it's someplace in the attic - and read through it properly.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This looked insurmountable going in, but I was able to slog through. And I was able to pick up a few tasty bits here and there.

I had a handful of opportunity, especially when crossing the Tañon Strait (Negros-Cebu strait) during my academic years, but I don't think I was graced with an eyeful of these noble creatures.

[Trees a Crowd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Carwardine's wonderful new Cetecean guide. Give his interview a listen to hear why it's so revolutionary: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/mark-carwa...

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I was in Doraemon and I could study this entire guide while eating slices of bread. This book has made me very happy, and I've learned a lot.

[Caitlin]

To quote a true poet, the blue CGI creature from Sesame Street,
“Animal books, animal books; I love to look in my animal books”.
Animal books geared towards younger readers from the 90s-early 2000s are very special to me, since that's what I grew up on. Reading through this copy from the library, I felt very nostalgic upon seeing that a previous reader had just circled random pictures in it, just like I used to in my favorite Sea Creatures book.
On the other hand it can also be sad to read older animal books when you read about situations like the baiji or vaquita which have just gotten worse since this book came out. I guess that also goes the other way though when you read about species that have been recovering. That’s kind of conservation bio in a nutshell I guess!
This was such a fun little book though, I need to learn more about beaked whales now, they seem kind of crazy.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference book…read in preparation for up coming trip Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada

[Vanessa Calero · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite birthday presents ever.
This book explains soooo well everything you need to know scientifically to identify porpoises, whales and dolphins.
Oh I feel so prepared to be the nerd who whale-talks.

[Kiril Valchev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Може би най-доброто и актуално справочно ръководство, " Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises of the World " е един прекрасен пътеводител в света на китоподобните и тяхното разпознаване. След кратък обзор на 14-те семейства китове, делфини и морски свине, следва систематизирана и достъпна информация за всеки един от 90-те (засега) вида (+ подвидовете им), придружена от над 1000 илюстрации, снимки и карти.
Поредната чудна книга на зоолога Марк Каруордин!

П.П. Това е изданието с меки корици на "Принстън" (за САЩ, Канада и Филипините). Британското издание е с твърди корици, в заглавието липсва "...of the world", китоподобните върху предната корица са други, но съдържанието вътре не се различава нито на йота.

[Leelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best handbook of cetaceans that I have seen yet and I have purchased quite a few. A plethora of fine illustrations and photographs. Four or five paintings of blue whale to differentiate different populations (or species?) I lost count of how many paintings of orca species are represented. And I had no idea there were so many kinds of beaked whale. This is a must-have for anyone interested in whale and dolphins.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

DK Handbook: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: The Visual Guide to All the World's Cetaceans (Eyewitness Handbooks) by Mark Carwardine (Dorling Kindersley 1995)(599.5) is a wonderful reference book for all the cetaceans in both saltwater and freshwater environments. I really like the DK Handbooks! My rating: 7.5/10, finished 6/2/14.

[Richard Archambault · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea there was such a variety of cetacean species and sub-species. Amazing.

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a recognition guide for these animals, done by DK in association with the Smithsonian Institution. There are 900+ detailed illustrations, including varieties, different ages, and male/female differences. The author is a zoologist, photographer, and author of other books (too).

General introduction talks fe. about behavior, studying, conservation needs, watching and identifying. Animals are grouped by families (with their own introductions), then each animal in the family gets 2 or 4 pages, including current status - but at least Baiji is now believed to be extinct - population, threats, body details, behavior, where can be found (or roughly so; not all animals have certainties of where they are, nor are all areas known since many live outside usual human reach), size, diet.
At the end is a glossary of words used, further reading (small), and addresses (US only).

The information comes from the author's own knowledge and what could be gathered from elsewhere. Of course, some of these animals have been more studied and found than others, but there's still enough information for all.
The focus is for the book to be useful as a field guide. The book has been updated, but of course information may have still changed a little (and they seem to have missed that using 'former Soviet Union' is no longer relevant - the change has been on long enough!).

To me, this is a fun, quick-ish read, and even though I have no particular desire to go watching any, it's still a good read, and the drawings are beautiful. My favorite is the sperm whale, and there were some animals that are really really beautiful to see (and easy to do this way). So even if going to watch any these is not on one's bucket list, it's still a nice reading experience.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’re out walking and spot a cardboard box someone house-moving has left outside their front gate: “Free books. Please help yourself.” That’s how I got this one.
    Quite a book to get for free too; as you’d expect from this publisher, Dorling Kindersley, the production is immaculate—illustrations, layout and all-round design wonderful. It’s actually a field-guide for identification, but simply reading my way through it I’ve learned much about all the various groups of cetaceans, which are these: right whales, rorqual whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, blackfish, dolphins (including river dolphins) and porpoises—seventy-nine species in total. Lovely book.

[Molly Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is more like 4.5/5 stars. I really enjoy reading this book. I have the older edition of this book so it has less pages than the one listed. The reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is more geared towards the accuracy of some things. There are scientific data stated however there is no corresponding citation for it. I also believe that over the years, many of the things stated in this book have changed over the years. Overall, I believe this is an excellent book to start reading about the different types of cetaceans.

[Kevin Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Killer whale ecologist here) This is a great guide book of all of the known cetacean species at the time it was published. This a great reference book for identifying and learning more about each species. Every species and group of cetacean is thoroughly explained. Although it is a little dated now, it works just fine for any commonly encountered species.

[Riley McInerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it shows you species of whale dolphins and porpoise and you see their size compared to humans and gives you facts about each one. and it shows you what the animal looks like. A fact I found out about is narwhals horn is actually a tooth.

[Vladimír · Rating 5 out of 5]

Čítali sme si túto knihu po večeroch so synom (5y) a dozvedeli sme sa veľa nového a zaujímavého. Neurobilo to z nás úplných expertov, ale na začiatok to určite stačí. Téma je spracovaná dobre a z rôznych pohľadov. Vizuálne tiež nemám čo by som vytkol.

slovenská verzia - 56strán

[Kaleb Headon]

I want to read this

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Checked this book out every time I went to the library as a kid. Very informative and fun to read.

[.~•☆ fela ☆•~.]

simply dnfing because I don’t have the time to read this. hopefully continue in the summer

[Julius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genau, was der Titel verspricht. Zahllose Informationen auf kleinem Raum und Illustrationen, die so prägnant wie schön sind. Eigentlich war ich auf dem Cetaceans-Äquivalent von "The seabird's cry", also mit mehr Prosa um die Fakten herum.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, straightforward, comprehensive field guide with beautiful illustrations.

[Caleb Swenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review
Now as you can tell I love whales, that's why I read this book. Whales are the largest animals on earth some can weigh up to 200 tons! Its like mother nature said one day " hey lets make the most amazing but animal I can think of" and puff, there was a whale. But enough about how much I love whales lets get to the facts. Whales are the largest mammals on earth by far, elephant can kiss there butts goodnight because there is a real giant tonight. Although many people would think the Blue Whale to be my favorite, well its not its not even my second its my third. My favorite whale is the amazing Sperm Whale its huge, unique, has sharp teeth ( which is odd for a whale ), and it hunts only the best giant squid. Which explains all the circle shaped scars on its body. It dives 3,280 feet that would crush most animals. Which makes the whales just that more unique. Now the Sperm whale is also weird because of its blow hole. It seems to be on the right side of its face not the middle unlike most whales where the blow hole is in the middle of the head which gives the Sperm Whale another unique quality also the unusually ruff skin which is for going face to face with the most powerful squad in the world and handling the razor sharp teeth on the tentacles. I also seem to love the unique colors of the Fin Whale it is also the smallest Whale in the ocean but it is very beautiful and there is a lot of them because of there small size not very many whale hunters wasted there time with them so the thrived. unlike the other whales that most face extinction. which is a really depressing such beautiful creatures have to surfer for there blubber. But thankfully the Japenese have stopped hunting these harmless, beautiful creatures.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just an ok field guide. Does not include any other marine mammals (polar bears, pinnipeds, otters, or manatees/dugongs). Has mostly pictures with only a few supplemental drawings. Has chapters that include information on biology, taxonomy, conservation, behavior, evolutionary adaptations. Also, it includes a chapter on how to successfully whale watch, a chapter on field techniques scientists use to identify both individual cetaceans and species of cetaceans. Lastly there is a chapter that highlights individual species, this includes natural histories, identification, taxonomy, what it feeds on, habitat and morphometrics. The last chapter highlights where in the world to go to see cetaceans in the wild. It is set up like the previous chapter on the individual species. This is organized by regions in the world.

[Nicholas Sly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply superb. It has everything you could want in a field guide / handbook for a taxonomic group. It is lavishly illustrated with multiple high quality paintings for each species, showing all the age/sex/color variation, from multiple angles, and illustrating behaviors, plus photographs for most species. The level of detail that went into explaining identification is exhaustive, it is truly impressive. The text accounts for each species are also nicely detailed summary of everything about the natural history and distribution and more. Also contains multiple quick Id plates at the front end that group together every species from a given region. I really can’t think of any aspect that could be improved upon as a field guide. I wish more taxonomic groups had guides this good.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps too heavy to be a field guide, this wonderful book is a resource for book lovers who would rather not do a web search when looking for information about cetaceans. There are plenty of photographs and most topics are covered in one or two pages, making it easy for the reader to decide if they want to spend a little or a lot of time with the book.

The first half of the book covers the science behind cetaceans and their environment, while the remainder gives more detailed information about many species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises and where to find them.