How to Learn More about Sea Kayaking:

Resources for the Tour Areas and the Wildlife

 "I would never go kayaking again without a biologist guide. We learned so much which gave us a deep
 appreciation of the wildlife, the islands, and the sea."
Jim Williams, Tacoma, WA

A KAYAK PADDLER'S BOOK SHELF

Arnold, D. 1986. Tides and currents. Fernhurst Books.

Bascom, W. 1964. Waves and beaches. Anchor.

Brower, K. 1973. The Starship and the Canoe. (Fascinating account of George Dyson's epic kayaking journeys in the Pacific Northwest. Like a great adventure novel, it has inspired more people to get into sea kayaking than any other book.)

Dowd, J. 1988. Sea kayaking: a long distance touring manual. 3rd edition. (Best guide to kayak cruising - slanted towards major expedition travel.)

Dyson, G. Baidarka. 1986. (An historical, cultural, and artistic view of the evolution of sea kayaks. Awesome. Author is subject of Brower's book listed above!)

Joel Rogers. 1992. The Hidden Coast. Alaska Northwest Books. (Coffee table book by a photographer/writer who has spent many years kayaking all over the west coast.)

Tawrell, P. 2006. Camping and Wilderness Survival. Campingbook.com. Encyclopedic!

A PACIFIC NORTHWEST BOOK LIST:
for the San Juan Islands, British Columbia,
and Southeast Alaska

Kozloff, E. 1973. Seashore life of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the San Juan Archipelago. Univ. of Wash. Press, Seattle.

Lamb, A., and P.Edgell. 1986. Coastal fishes of the Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing, Madiera, B.C.

MacKinnon, A., J. Pojar & R. Coupe. 1992. Plants of northern British Columbia. B.C. Ministry of Forests & Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, B.C.

O'Clair, R. & Lindstrom S. 2000. North Pacific Sea Weeds. Plant Press, Friday Harbor, WA.

Osborne, R.W., J.Calombokidis, and E.Dorsey. 1988. Marine mammals of Greater Puget Sound. Islands Press, Anacortes, Wash. (Best marine mammal guide for the area.)

Snively, G. 1978. Exploring the seashore in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. Gordon Soules Book Pub., Vancouver, B.C.

Strickland, R. 1983. The fertile fjord. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Wash. (Fascinating look at the dynamics of plankton production and their vital role in the marine food web and global atmosphere creation and balance.)

Waaland, J.R. 1977. Common seaweeds of the Pacific Coast. Pacific Search Press, Seattle, Wash.

Yates, S. 1988. Marine wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and Strait of Georgia. Globe Pequot Press, Chester, CT. (Less detailed than some others but very compact.) 

A SOUTHEAST ALASKA BOOK CATALOG

Bahovec, F. 1989. The first 100 years. Independently published, Sitka, AK.

Baker, C.S. 1985. The population structure and social organization of humpback whales in the central and eastern North Pacific. Doctoral thesis, Univ. of Hawai'i, Honolulu.

Conner, C. & D. O'Haire. 1988. Roadside Geology of Alaska. Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, MT.

D'Vincent, C, D. Haley, & Fred Sharpe. 1989. Voyaging with the Whales. Boulton Publishing, Toronto, Ontario. (This is a tremendous book, full of photos, on the lives of humpback whales. As seen through the eyes of one of our associated researchers.)

Olsen, L. 1992. Field guide to the grizzly bear. Sasquatch Books, Seattle, WA.

A SAN JUAN ISLANDS BOOK LIST

Adams, Evelyn. 1995. San Juan Islands wildlife: a handbook for exploring nature. The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Wash. (A joyful personal tour to the San Juan's natural treasures. Includes profiles of many of the regions leading natural history authorities and personalities.)

Angell, T., and K.C.Balcomb III. 1982. Marine birds and mammals of Puget Sound. Univ. of Wash. Press, Seattle, Wash. (Very nice art and prose, but less informative than others listed here.)

Atkinson, S.R., and F.S.Sharpe. 1985. Wild plants of the San Juan Islands. The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Wash. (Co-authored by a former staff member.)

Lewis, M.G., and F.S.Sharpe. 1987. Birding in the San Juan Islands. The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Wash. (Written by our staff members; not a field identification guide--intended to help locate birds and understand more than just their names.)

Mueller, M. 1988. San Juan Islands: afoot and afloat. 2nd edition. The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Wash.

Suttles, W. 1987. Coast Salish Essays. Talonbooks, Burnaby, B.C. One of the few works on the local tribes that inhabit this region and their history.

A BAJA BOOK SHELF

Behrens, David. 1991. Pacific Coast nudibranchs. Sea Challengers. (Fascinating pictorial of the bizarre seaslugs.)

Brusca, Richard. 1980. Common intertidal invertebrates of the Gulf of California. 2nd ed. Univ. of Arizona Press. (Quite large, but a must for serious naturalists; has most of the species seen tidepooling or snorkeling.)

Carey, Robin. 1989. Baja journey: reveries of a sea-kayaker. Texas A&M Univ. (The experiences of a novice paddler in prose.)

Fons, Valerie. 1986. Keep it moving: Baja by canoe. The Mountaineers. (A marathon paddle around Baja.)

Franz, Carl. 1981. The people's guide to backpacking, boating & camping in Mexico. John Muir Pub. (Down-to-earth advice and fun reading. Great to have if you'll be in Mexico for extended periods.)

Gotshall, Daniel. 1988. Marine animals of Baja California: a guide to the common fishes and invertebrates. 2nd ed. Sea Challengers. (Slim, handy reference with color photos and little text; a must for snorkelers.)

Janovy, John. 1992. Vermilion Sea: a Naturalist's Journey in Baja California. Houghton Mifflin Co. (Critically acclaimed; the contemporary answer to Steinbeck's classic.)

Johnson, William W. 1972. Baja California. Time-Life Books. (Nice pictorial but getting rather dated.)

Keen, Myra. 1971. Sea shells of tropical west America; marine mollusks from Baja California to Peru. 2nd ed. Stanford Univ. Press. (Voluminous and detailed scholarly work--for serious shell collectors and biologists.)

Kerstitch, Alex. 1989. Sea of Cortez marine invertebrates. Sea Challengers. (Slim but excellent photo-identification guide; a most useful companion to Gotshall's book.)

Krutch, Joseph. 1986. The forgotten peninsula: a naturalist in Baja California. Univ. of Arizona Press. (Interesting essay on the natural history of the region.)

Krutch, Joseph. 1969. Baja California and the geography of hope. Sierra Club Books. (Stunning photography by Eliot Porter; large format.)

MacMahon, James. 1985. Audubon Nature Guides: The desert. Alfred A. Knopf. (Good for desert ecology.)

Peterson, Walt. 1987. The Baja adventure book. Wilderness Press. (Basic traveler's guide; a must if you drive.)

Roberts, Norman. 1989. Baja California plant guide. Natural History Pub. Co. (A very nice field guide; covers most species encountered.)

Stebbins, Robert. 1985. Field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Co. (Best for the topic.)

Steinbeck, John. 1941. The log from the Sea of Cortez. Viking Press. (Somewhat slow reading at times but usually interesting from an historical standpoint; considered to be a classic natural history essay.)

Thomson, Donald. 1976. Gulf of California fishwatcher's guide. Golden Puffer Press. (Line drawings only; the best guide for snorkelers with a more intense interest in fishes.)

Wayne, Scott. 1991. A travel survival kit: Baja California. Lonely Planet Pub. (Handy guide for long-term travel.)

Wiggins, Ira. 1980. Flora of Baja California. Stanford Univ. Press. (The botanist's bible--a scholarly work for serious naturalists.)

Wilbur, Sanford. 1987. Birds of Baja California. Univ. of Cal. Press. (Another scholarly compilation.)

Zwinger, Ann. 1983. A desert country near the sea: a natural history of the Cape Region of Baja California. Univ. of Arizona Press. (Very interesting and well-written but mainly concerns area south of Loreto.)

A TRAVELING NATURALIST'S BOOK LIST:
Recommended Reading for all our Trip Areas

Dando, M., et al, 1996. SeaLife: A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. This book is awesome! Great text, illustrations and color plates - its the whole package.

Haley, D. ed., 1986. Marine Mammals of the eastern North Pacific and Arctic Waters. Pacific Search Press, Seattle, WA.

Hoyt, Eric. 1984. The whale watcher's handbook. Doubleday & Co.

Minasian, S., K. Balcomb, and L. Foster. 1984. The world's whales. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.

Leatherwood, Stephen. 1983. Sierra Club handbook of whales and dolphins. Sierra Club Books.

National Geographic Society. 1987. Field guide to the birds of North America. 2nd edition. National Geographic Soc., Wash., D.C. (Best field identification guide for the continent.)

Pasachoff, Jay. 1988. Peterson first guide to astronomy. Houghton Mifflin Co. (A great guide to the night sky.)

CHARTS FOR THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1983. "Strait of Juan de Fuca to Strait of Georgia." Map #18421, 34th edition. Dept. of Commerce, Wash., D.C. If you would like something handier for use in your kayak, you can purchase a very nice waterproof chart from us for $20 -- call in advance and your guide will present it to you at the beach. If you prefer to receive it before your trip date you may call or write International Sailing Supply, 320 Cross St, Punta Gorda, FL 33950; (800) 423-9026 (ask for chart #43).

CHARTS FOR BAJA AND THE SEA OF CORTEZ

These are obtainable from various map or nautical shops such as The Map Center, 22611 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104 (619) 291-3830. Ask for US Defense Mapping Agency or NOAA chart #21141. British Admiralty and Mexico Carta Nautica have also published charts of the region.

CHARTS, TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS,
& ATLAS FOR SOUTHEAST ALASKA

U.S. Geological Survey. 1:250.000 Quadrangle Maps are available for all of the trip areas. The LeConte Bay area is covered by the map named "Petersburg"; Big Creek is within the map labeled "Sumdum"; and Tebenkof Wilderness is located with map "Port Alexander".

1992. DeLorme Mapping. "Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer".

RESOURCES FOR WHALES AND CONSERVATION

For general information on marine mammals we refer you to the following:

The Whale-watching Web is the nerve center for all information concerning whales and dolphins. Everything is here from current science to educational materials, conservation efforts and lots more. For a wonderful introduction to the orca whales of the San Juan Islands check out Orcas of the Salish Sea.

Here are a few research and educational groups that we have given support to over the years that you might find interesting:

The Alaska Whale Foundation is focused on humpback whales and leads efforts to study them in Alaskan waters. The principal researcher has won awards for innovation and creativity in scientific investigation. One of his acclaimed projects may possibly be viewable at Virtual Whale (if this website has found a new host). To learn about joining one of his research expeditions click here.

The Friday Harbor Whale Museum has information on orcas and their Adopt-an-Orca program. After kayaking with us in the San Juan Islands you may want to adopt one of the whales you've seen. The revenue is used to continue work on tracking the lives of individual whales, to learn such things as family relationships, genealogy, and threats to their well-being. The Whale Museum also operates the Soundwatch program to keep whales safe from boaters in the San Juan Islands and to educate boaters in the proper behavior around whales.

Mingan Island Cetacean Study invites you to participate in their ecological studies of marine mammals in the St. Lawrence Seaway and off the Baja Peninsula. They study a long list of whales and dolphins in those areas. They also have an Adopt-a-Blue Whale program to help fund their work. You can adopt a blue whale you've actually seen on one of our kayaking trips in Baja and the Sea of Cortez.

We also support some leading conservation groups. We encourage you to check them out to see if you feel they deserve your support as well:

The World Wildlife Fund is the largest private conservation organization in the world. Recognized by its panda logo, they lead international efforts to save wildlife, ecosystems, and the local people who depend on these sustainable resources.

Greenpeace is an international, independent, campaigning organization which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force the solutions which are essential to a green and peaceful future. Their theatrical performances are often the only way to get popular media to uncover important issues.

The Nature Conservancy of Washington is also a private non-profit conservation organization with a chapter in each state. They are committed to preserving plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The Washington Chapter of the conservancy owns and manages 29 nature preserves whereas 1,600 nature preserves are maintained nationwide.

The Washington Environmental Council is a statewide, non-profit organization of individual volunteers and affiliated organizations working to protect, preserve, and restore the environment of Washington State.

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