A GUIDE TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL WHALES BASED ON THEIR NATURAL AND ACQUIRED MARKINGS <i> By Jon Lien and Steven Katona (Breakwater/The American Cetacean Society: $12.95, illustrated) </i>

Information on the social behavior, migration patterns, etc. of whales is vital to the efforts to preserve them. As their immense size makes it impossible to tag whales, scientists use natural markings (scars, pigmentation, fin shape and the patterns of notches in the flukes) to identify individual animals. Pictures taken by amateur naturalists that reveal these markings have helped cetologists identify an estimated 80% of the North Atlantic humpback-whale population. This concise guide explains how to take suitable photographs for whale-identification projects, from selecting a camera to submitting the finished pictures, offering conservationists a chance to contribute to mankind’s knowledge of these endangered animals, thereby increasing their chances of survival.