covediver
Contributor
Full disclosure, Brandon Cole is a friend, dive buddy, and collaborator on magazine articles with me. I have had no role in this book.
Reef Life, A Guide to Tropical Marine Life, is a different sort of guide book than the ordinary fish identification books in a couple of different ways. First, it is the first book that I am aware of that covers the entire circumtropical zone of the earth. Many guide books cover a specific area, Hawaii, California, the Caribbean, for example, or run north to south (fises of the pacific coast. This guide covers the entire circumtropic region of the world with descriptions of each area Hawaii, French Polynesia, Fuji, Micronesia, GBR, Phillipines, indonesia, PNG, Adaman Sea, Red Sea Maldives,Carribbean, and so on. Second, many fish guides do not put the region into context; Cole's book explains the relationships (ecology) of the tropic zone and coral reefs. This natural history puts the various elements into context. Third, the graphic representations of the fish, in situ, are some of the best I have seen, facilitating identification. Fourth, the entire range of marine life described is comprehensive and exhaustive, fin fish, rays, sharks, inverts, marine reptiles, marine mammals. Fifth, individual species description is complete without being overwhelming. Finally, the price (list $35, discounted to low $20s on Amazon) is very competitive with guides that give you much less.
On a recent trip to Hawaii, i found the guide very useful in identifying species that as a west coast/alaska diver I did not have a lot of familiarity with.
If you are looking for a single guide for all your tropical travels, this might be it.
Reef Life: A Guide to Tropical Marine Life: Brandon Cole, Scott Michael: 9781770851900: Amazon.com: Books
Reef Life, A Guide to Tropical Marine Life, is a different sort of guide book than the ordinary fish identification books in a couple of different ways. First, it is the first book that I am aware of that covers the entire circumtropical zone of the earth. Many guide books cover a specific area, Hawaii, California, the Caribbean, for example, or run north to south (fises of the pacific coast. This guide covers the entire circumtropic region of the world with descriptions of each area Hawaii, French Polynesia, Fuji, Micronesia, GBR, Phillipines, indonesia, PNG, Adaman Sea, Red Sea Maldives,Carribbean, and so on. Second, many fish guides do not put the region into context; Cole's book explains the relationships (ecology) of the tropic zone and coral reefs. This natural history puts the various elements into context. Third, the graphic representations of the fish, in situ, are some of the best I have seen, facilitating identification. Fourth, the entire range of marine life described is comprehensive and exhaustive, fin fish, rays, sharks, inverts, marine reptiles, marine mammals. Fifth, individual species description is complete without being overwhelming. Finally, the price (list $35, discounted to low $20s on Amazon) is very competitive with guides that give you much less.
On a recent trip to Hawaii, i found the guide very useful in identifying species that as a west coast/alaska diver I did not have a lot of familiarity with.
If you are looking for a single guide for all your tropical travels, this might be it.
Reef Life: A Guide to Tropical Marine Life: Brandon Cole, Scott Michael: 9781770851900: Amazon.com: Books
