Carol and I do not have an abundance of reference books aboard SV Estrellita. For whatever reason, neither of us is generally that interested in the names of the cool fish and cool coral we see. We love snorkeling and diving and seeing all of the cool critters but we don't feel compelled to identify the species.
There are two exceptions to that rule. First, we like to know what kind of fish we've caught to eat and whether they are good eating. We started out with Sports Fish of the Pacific which was great for the coast of the Americas but is falling short in the South Pacific. Between this book and an old Grant's Guide to Fishes we are usually able to figure out what is on the hook. If anyone has a better suggestion we would love to hear it.
Second, a little out of fear and a little out of awe, we are motivated to know more about sharks. With the help of a birthday gift certificate from my fantastic friend J, I bought a great pocket sized shark book (Sharks - Collins Gem) with drawings and information for all known species of sharks. Plus, the book starts out with an overview of sharks, anatomical drawings, descriptions of how they swim and a lot of other interesting facts. Christmas came early!
There are two exceptions to that rule. First, we like to know what kind of fish we've caught to eat and whether they are good eating. We started out with Sports Fish of the Pacific which was great for the coast of the Americas but is falling short in the South Pacific. Between this book and an old Grant's Guide to Fishes we are usually able to figure out what is on the hook. If anyone has a better suggestion we would love to hear it.
Second, a little out of fear and a little out of awe, we are motivated to know more about sharks. With the help of a birthday gift certificate from my fantastic friend J, I bought a great pocket sized shark book (Sharks - Collins Gem) with drawings and information for all known species of sharks. Plus, the book starts out with an overview of sharks, anatomical drawings, descriptions of how they swim and a lot of other interesting facts. Christmas came early!
I am a book/field guide junkie, but this is definitely a gap. The reef guides don't tell you what's good to eat and of course, miss the pelagics. We have the Sports Fish book but it's very Eastern-Pacific centric. Grant's guide helps, but I keep thinking there must be something better! The shark book sounds interesting- I am fascinated by sharks- does it get into behavior much? Happy New Year from the Totem crew!
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