The Sea Among Us by Richard Beamish and Gordon McFarlane Harbour Publishing, 400 pages, $39.95.
It is the water that surrounds us and defines our land. The Strait of Georgia is a third the size of Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes, but it is one of the world's great inland seas. Contained by the mainland's coastline and the eastern shore of Vancouver Island it borders the homes of two thirds of the population of British Columbia. Its future is largely in our hands and knowing its history is an excellent starting point for British Columbians to appreciate the importance of protecting this waterway.
In this comprehensive book all aspects of the Strait are looked at, starting with the geological makeup of the region. The first half of the book delves into the science aspect, while the People and Industry are the focus of the second part. The ocean, marine life, coastal birds, native people, history of the fisheries are some of the ten subjects that are examined in depth.
Authors Beamish and McFarlane, experts in their fields of Zoology and marine biological research, have brought in ten contributors to share their knowledge on the details of these topics. Colour photographs, charts and illustrations elaborate on the information to make this educational book excel.
