Long-time readers of My Itchy Travel Feet know what’s at the top of my baby boomer travel list. Antarctica! I’m dreaming of exploring the great white continent on SilverSea’s adventure ship, Silver Explorer. What do you expect? I’m a boomer travel princess, after all. Well, when I finally make that luxurious exploration, I’ll be taking along James Lowen’s book, Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide
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Designed to complement the typical Antarctic cruise itinerary, the compact photographic field guide makes identifying penguins, whales, seals and other wildlife an easy task. Full-color photographs plus a detailed description of key identification features are the key. I particularly like the “Talking Point” included for most species that offers little-known facts.
But that’s not all you’ll find in Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide. First timers, like me, will appreciate Lowen’s advice on How an Antarctic cruise works (page 22) and Choosing your trip (page 25). A section towards the back of the book, Enhancing your Antarctic trip, discusses what to bring for wildlife watching and tips for taking photographs (yes, Alan will be reading that one). And Lowen is well-equipped to be giving us advice. The wildlife writer, photographer and lecturer serves as an Antarctic naturalist guide for Polar Star Expeditions.
Until I finally take my Antarctic cruise, I’ll be reading and re-reading this book. You can bet that I’ll be able to tell an Emperor Penguin from a King Penguin when I finally do arrive on the seventh continent.
Would you like to win a copy of Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide? To enter, just post a comment at the end of this post telling us why you would like to go to Antarctica. Please include your email address for contact purposes. Contest ends on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 11:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Winner will be announced as soon as possible. Remember, according to our general contest rules, the winner must be a U.S. resident and respond within 48 hours of receiving the notification email; or we chose another winner.
Disclosure: Princeton University Press provided a copy of Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide for my review. They are also providing a copy of the book for one of our lucky readers.
I have included an Amazon Link to Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide for your convenience. However My Itchy Travel Feet does receive a small percentage for purchases made at Amazon.com.
UPDATE: June 6, 2011 at 11:01 p.m: this contest has expired. As soon as the winner acknowledges receipt of my email, I’ll make the announcement.
