Griffin Bay Author Event

Griffin Bay Bookstore is excited to present the authors Audrey DeLella Benedict & Joseph K. Gaydos and their new book about our inland waters: The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest, The authors will talk about their book, and show many stunning slides of our local fauna, geology, and watery surroundings. Don’t miss this special occasion! Thursday evening, April 9, 7:00 pm at Griffin Bay Bookstore. Here’s more info about the book…

The Salish Sea region is an ecological jewel straddling the western border between Canada and the United States, connected to the Pacific Ocean primarily through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. There, lush and mossy old-growth forests meet waters with dazzlingly-colored anemones and majestic orcas.

A beautiful new book, The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest combines a scientist’s inquiring mind, dramatic color photographs, and a lively narrative of compelling stories. This is the first book of its kind to describe the Salish Sea, whose name was not even officially recognized until 2008.

One of the world’s largest inland seas, the Salish Sea contains 6,535 square miles of sea surface area and 4,642 miles of coastline. Fashioned by the violent volcanism of the Pacific Rim of Fire, plate tectonics, and the sculptural magic wrought by Ice Age glaciers, the Salish Sea is a unique ecosystem home to thousands of different species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and macro-invertebrates.

Amongst breathtaking color photography, The Salish Sea takes a look at the region’s geology, fauna, and history, and ends with hope for the protection of its future. The reader is left with a sense of wonder for this intricate marine ecosystem and the life that it sustains.

About the Authors –

Audrey DeLella Benedict is a biologist, a writer, and a passionate advocate for the conservation of the global ocean and Arctic and alpine environments the world over. She is founder and director of Cloud Ridge Naturalists, a nonprofit natural history educational organization now in its fourth decade. She is currently a member of the board of the SeaDoc Society and served for nearly a decade as a trustee for the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy, from which she received the prestigious One Conservancy Award in 2003 for her work in Ecuador. Audrey splits her time between her home at 9,000 feet along the Colorado Front Range and her off-grid cottage on San Juan’s Frost Island.

Co-author Audrey Benetict – Wendy Shattil photo

Joseph K. Gaydos is Chief Scientist for the SeaDoc Society, a marine science and conservation program focused on the Salish Sea. He is a licensed wildlife veterinarian and has a PhD in wildlife health. For over a decade he has been studying the fish and wildlife of the Salish Sea.

Co-author Joe Gaydos – Pete Naylor photo

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.