Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification

"Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic" by Stephen Leatherwood and others, is a helpful resource made in the mid-1900s to recognize whales and their relatives in the western North Atlantic, like around the Caribbean Sea. Instead of using scientific groups, the guide sorts these sea creatures by how they look, so it's easy for people on boats or finding them on beaches to tell them apart. The book starts by explaining why it was made—to help people identify these animals easily, building on the success of another guide from the Pacific. It also talks about how anyone, from scientists to everyday people, can help learn about these whale populations by spotting and reporting them. The guide stresses that paying attention to details like size, shape, and how they act is important to know which species you're seeing in changing ocean environments, encouraging more people to care about protecting these animals.