The Marine Mammals of the Northwestern Coast of North America: Together With an Account of the American Whale-Fishery - Softcover

Scammon, Charles Melville

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1597140619 ISBN 13: 9781597140614

Publisher: Heyday Books, 2007

Synopsis

A reintroduction to the first detailed written account of whales and pinnipeds

This volume--reprinted with a new foreword by whale expert Dick Russell--has long been a highly regarded classic of natural history writing. Until this book's publication in 1872, whales, dolphins, and other sea mammals were among the least known of the larger animals of North America. As the captain of a whaling ship, Scammon closely observed and made detailed measurements of the animals he was tracking. Despite the lack of sophisticated tools, Scammon was able to gather vital information, much of which has been confirmed by contemporary science. Russell, in his foreword, details the evolution of Scammon's attitude from that of a whaler and profiteer to a pioneer conservationist with respect and admiration for the animals he studied.

About this title

About the Author

Charles Melville Scammon (1825-1911) spent thirty-five prosperous years at sea, skippering twenty different vessels between 1848 and 1883. During his ten years in the whaling business, he took notes and sketched whales, dolphins, and other sea mammals such as sea elephants, sea lions, seals, sea otters, and walruses. These notes and sketches were the basis of Marine Mammals of the Northwestern Coast of North America.

Edition details

• Publisher: Heyday Books
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1597140619
• ISBN 13: 9781597140614
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 319