Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the western North Atlantic: a guide to their identification

• Main Authors: Leatherwood, Stephen, Caldwell, David K., Winn, Howard E., Schevill, William E, Caldwell, Melba C.
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service 1976
• Subjects: Management; Conservation; Ecology; Fisheries; Biology; Environment; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://aquaticcommons.org/1417/; http://aquaticcommons.org/1417/2/NOAA_Tech_Rpt_NMFS_CIRC-396.pdf

This is an identification guide for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). It was designed to assist laypersons in identifying cetaceans encountered in the western North Atlantic Ocean and was intended for use by ongoing cetacean observer programs. This publication includes sections on identifying cetaceans at sea as well as stranded animals on shore. Species accounts are divided by body size and presence or lack of a dorsal fin. Appendices cover tags used on cetacean species; how to record and report cetacean observations at see and for stranded cetaceans; and a list of contacts for reporting cetacean strandings. (Document pdf contains 183 pages - file takes considerable time to open)