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The Beachcomber's Guide to Seashore Life in the Pacific Northwest
What's that purple stuff you and the kids always see at the edge of the water when you go to the beach? Is it okay to touch those gooey little creatures you always find in tidepools? And where's the best place along the coast to see bat stars?
This book can tell you.
The 274 most common animals and plants to be seen along the saltwater shores of the Pacific Northwest are described here-the ones that stay put and that cover great distances; the ones that hide and that love a party; the ones that look like rocks or feathers or blobs of jelly. Illustrating each entry is a full-colour photo of the species in its natural habitat, so that even the novice can identify it confidently - without disturbing it.
There are special sections on great Pacific Northwest viewing sites for intertidal life, ways to understand tides and choose the best times to look for beach wildlife, intertidal habitats ranging from sandy beaches to aging wharves to rocky, wave-swept shores, and ecologically friendly observation methods.
Packed with expert information but wonderfully accessible to any interested layperson, this book is perfect for a family or a school group, a Saturday beachwalker or a naturalists' club. The species described here include sponges, clams, snails, crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, jellies, fishes, seaweeds and others. This informative guide was written to be both accurate and easy to understand. Details for each plant or animal include; description, habitat, range, additional notes and more.
Many intertidal sites found in the Pacific Northwest are also featured in this guide. Additional information found here include tidal actions, intertidal habitats, and environmentally friendly beachcombing.
This book can tell you.
The 274 most common animals and plants to be seen along the saltwater shores of the Pacific Northwest are described here-the ones that stay put and that cover great distances; the ones that hide and that love a party; the ones that look like rocks or feathers or blobs of jelly. Illustrating each entry is a full-colour photo of the species in its natural habitat, so that even the novice can identify it confidently - without disturbing it.
There are special sections on great Pacific Northwest viewing sites for intertidal life, ways to understand tides and choose the best times to look for beach wildlife, intertidal habitats ranging from sandy beaches to aging wharves to rocky, wave-swept shores, and ecologically friendly observation methods.
Packed with expert information but wonderfully accessible to any interested layperson, this book is perfect for a family or a school group, a Saturday beachwalker or a naturalists' club. The species described here include sponges, clams, snails, crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, jellies, fishes, seaweeds and others. This informative guide was written to be both accurate and easy to understand. Details for each plant or animal include; description, habitat, range, additional notes and more.
Many intertidal sites found in the Pacific Northwest are also featured in this guide. Additional information found here include tidal actions, intertidal habitats, and environmentally friendly beachcombing.
235 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 22, 2024
This has been a great resource while out doing low tide walks! It's super dense, so it's not exactly the kind of guide where you can simply flip to the correct page. However, as I become more familiar with families of creatures this book will become even more useful. Highly recommend. Great purchase that will always be in my beach bag.
October 16, 2023
I lived in Tofino/Along the west side of Vancouver Island for a while, and I SWEAR by this book. it got me hooked on intertidal species. if you are interested in all things ocean, definitely a must-have handbook for beachcombing!!
January 22, 2020
Really helpful and handy to have when checking out local areas. :) It helps a lot with identify things I'm not sure I'm looking at.
October 2, 2025
You can tell just how much the authors love tidepool critters and the enthusiasm is so contagious! The notes on most species are also full of fun facts. Highly recommend!
January 21, 2014
Although an older book (our version is copyrighted 1999), let's face it, not much has changed over the years in terms of the basic animals and plants you'll find on a typical Oregon coast. This full color guidebook offers some great photos and brief descriptions of hundreds of invertebrates and plants. It does not touch on birds, mammals or fish, however. The last sixth of the book provides useful maps to finding intertidal areas from British Columbia to Oregon. A handy book to have in your collection and probably good for teen readers as it doesn't get bogged down in highly-scientific language or detail.
May 6, 2021
Found this in a free library. I opened it tonight to look up an explanation of tides, which I thought the author explained simply and well. I also enjoyed the fun factoids sprinkled throughout, which I read out loud to my family. However, the field identification sections are printed on speckled colored paper with tiny thin font, which makes it very difficult to read. I also did not find the identifying descriptions clear. This is the first shore guide I’ve read, but compared to my bird guides which offer specific features to look for, similar species, and how to tell them apart I thought it only did an okay job.
July 13, 2009
Perfect for our recent low tide days! This one has excellent photographs, nice close-ups and good quick descriptions for the beach! i like this one quite a bit, although it is a bit large as "pocket" guide.
March 4, 2015
To notch book! Perfect companion when tidepooling.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews