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

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 books 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 Scammons attitude from that of a whaler and profiteer to a pioneer conservationist with respect and admiration for the animals he studied.