Books

The Florida Keys

For those not familiar with the area, Sea Kayaking in the Florida Keys is a must have guide to those paddling areas that only the locals know about! Bruce Wachob grew up in the Florida Keys and spent over four years researching the area's soft-bottom grassy flats, mysterious mangrove tunnels and crystal clear waters. He includes in his book, a wealth of information about remote launch sites, where to park, nearby campsites and general trip planning. Thirteen detailed trip descriptions are accompanied by black and white photographs and navigational charts for reference.

The Florida Keys are a unique paddling destination, offering rich biological diversity, the only coral reef system in North America and of course, warm waters! The maneuverability and shallow draft design of the kayak will allow you to visit tidal flats that are home to a variety of birds and fish.

Bruce Wachob has organized this book into three sections with trips that are appropriate for specific levels of paddling ability. He presents a number of trips for beginner, intermediate and experienced paddlers, with discussion about what equipment to bring, weather and tides, launch and campsites and flora and fauna.

Plan a trip down south next winter and take along Bruce Wachob's Sea Kayaking in the Florida Keys.

192 pp, 5.5x8.5, $12.95U.S.
ISBN 1-56164-142-1
Pineapple Press Inc.
P.O. Box 3899
Sarasota, Florida 34230
Ph:941-953-2797
Fax:941-953-2799
Internet:www.pineapplepress.com

A Cat in a Kayak

A long time writer of travel adventures, Maria Coffey is taking her first stab at a book for children. A Cat in a Kayak (1998), is the charming and beautifully illustrated story of Teelo. This lucky cat finds himself living on a kayak-accessible home on Cloud Island. Life is a pleasure, filled with warm naps in the sun and morning Yoga stretches with Victor, Teelo's owner. There's only one problem. Victor is offering the peace of island life to pet after pet and soon, Teelo finds that his home has turned into a crowing, barking, skin-shedding, shrieking, overcrowded zoo! When Teelo stows away on the kayak in search of a reprieve, quiet quickly gives way to chaos on the Pacific seas!

Maria Coffey is a travel writer and author of Fragile Edge; A Boat in Our Baggage: Around the World with a Kayak; Three Moons in Vietnam: A Haphazard Journey by Boat and Bicycle; and Sailing Back in Time: A Nostalgic Voyage on Canada's West Coast.

Eugenie Fernandes is the illustrator of over 80 books, including Lavender Moon (1997); Jesse on the Night Train (1990); Eleven (1993); and Just You and Me (1993).

32 pp, 8.25x10.5, $16.95, colour

The Good Companion

The Good Companion was especially written for the young reader and tells the tale of a mysterious night at sea. Author Joan Skogan recounts the story of the Good Companion, a fishing vessel that always follows the rules of seafaring for success. The captain demands that on board the Good Companion there are to be no changes in the daily routine, no whistling to call up the wind, no cats and definitely no women. When the crew rescues a young redheaded girl stranded in a swamped wooden skiff, the captain is sure that their luck is about to change for the worse. Sometimes however, a change in plans can bring about a wondrous surprise.

Joan Skogan is a Gabriola Island author who has drawn from her own commercial fishing experiences to write The Good Companion. She has published several children's books including The Princess and the Sea-Bear and Other Tsimshian Stories and Grey Cat at Sea. The Good Companion is a lovely addition to her collection.

Stephen McCallum brings this stormy night to life with illustrations that capture both the fury of the sea and the mists of dream and illusion. He has illustrated several books for Orca including the Canadian best seller Belle's Journey and The New Land, both by Marilynn Reynolds.

This story is a delightful read and will resound with anyone who has a few superstitions of their own. The sea holds many mysteries and in this story, The Good Companion finds safety in its secrets.

32 pp, 8.5x11, $18.95
Full color illustrations

Hiking Trails-Victoria

This comprehensive trail guide by the Vancouver Island Trails Information Society is a must for naturalists living in or planning to visit the Victoria area. According to the authors, the Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a hike as "a long tramp in the country undertaken for pleasure or exercise." For those inclined to tramp, the Capital Region District (CRD) is a wonderful place to explore the beauty of western BC!

This 12th Edition of the Hiking Trails I has been completely revised and updated to include the Commonwealth Legacy Parks, new material in the Port Renfrew/San Juan Valley area, and a useful section of Hints and Cautions. The book is organized according to areas that exist within the CRD, and are ordered from north to south and then to the west according to an accompanying map in the table of contents. Included are hikes of varying length and difficulty ranging from short neighbourhood outings to week-long backpacking trips in remote areas.

There are a life time of trails to explore on southern Vancouver Island and Hiking Trails I has done a superb job of compiling an informative guide to finding them. While browsing through the pages of Hiking Trails I, I realized that although I had lived in Victoria for a number of years, I had unfortunately missed out on some great hikes. Portland Island Marine Park for example, sounds like a fantastic day trip out of Sidney. The description of the park includes a brief history of the island, as well as ferry schedules and prices.

For those looking to explore new ground, look for Hiking Trails II which covers the Gulf Islands and the southeastern portion of Vancouver Island, or Hiking Trails III which covers central and northern Vancouver Island including Strathcona Park. So many trails, so little time!

Wandering Whales

Gray Whales, Wandering Giants is a visually stunning, complete natural history of the gray whale. This wondrous mammal attracts huge attention on its twice yearly migration along the west coast of North America. Robert H. Busch has provided an exploration of the grey whale that can be enjoyed at any time.

Along with more than 80 colour photographs, including a number of beautiful underwater shots, Robert Busch describes details of the life history of the whale (evolution, intelligence, social behaviour, relationship with other species, etc.) Gray Whales also discusses the controversies surrounding whales in captivity, as well as current threats to the gray whale. In his section entitled On the Horizon, Robert Busch indicates that "According to the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 'more than 80 percent of marine pollution comes from human activities on land.'" Charles Mayo of the Center of Coastal Studies in Massachusetts says "...we treat the richest ecosystem on our earth not as our garden but as our dumping ground."

Robert Busch is a nature writer whose experiences in the wild are renowned. He has published books on grizzly bears, cougars, salmon and wolves. Gray Whales, Wandering Giants is his sixth book. The writings of Robert Busch may also look familiar to magazine readers. He has contributed to Sierra, Outside, Nature Canada, Wildlife Conservation, Discovery and Canadian Wildlife.

A beautiful and informative book, Gray Whales, Wandering Giants can be enjoyed by wildlife lovers of all ages.