A big thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I know very little about Orcas, but I got confused! The book starts with the Salish group then expands and I'm not sure why?! The photos were beautiful!! 4 stars

The photography in this book is stunning and worth a read on its own. There are little bios on some of the whales included along with basic facts about orcas and the need to protect them. It will be enjoyed by any little whale lover.

Little girl me was in LOVE with orcas, and I would have loved this book back then - especially with Onyx joining different pods throughout his life. Oh the school research papers I would have written! The photos are breath-taking and would have inspired me to want to become a marine life photographer. The information is interesting and easily digestible while lending itself to curiosity and further exploration. The book even anticipates that kids will want to help the struggling orcas and tells them a few ways to do that realistically without pushing particular organizations and companies.
I think there's room for this to become a series - both in exploring other kinds of Orcas and in further going into Onyx and J Pod by giving details about their identifying markings, personalities, etc.

This was a simple but delightful book about orcas in the Pacific Northwest. It's beautifully done with lovely art. This is a book for children so don't expect too much in depth information but it would be a great gift for a child interested in the sea or sea life.

This poorly titled non-fiction book for kids lacks focus and could be potentially confusing for some readers.

Orcas of the Salish Sea looks like it's supposed to be about the southern resident killer whales who live off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. That's what one would logically assume from the title and from the synopsis. However, although it does have some information about these orcas, the book then loses the thread and goes on to talk about other orcas around the world.

Why is this a problem? Because the southern residents are a distinct group. They are fish-eating orcas, as opposed to another group that swims the local waters who eat other marine mammals. At one point in the book, the text states:

Because some types of orcas hunt other whales for food, orcas like Onyx used to be called killer whales.

While this is technically true, it's confusing to imply that orcas "like Onyx" were called killer whales because of their diets... because Onyx is part of the fish-eating group. I noticed this confusing lack of focus early on in the book, where a Bigg's killer whale was pictured hunting a porpoise. Bigg's killer whales are not part of the southern resident population, which was what the book was talking about at that point.

The diets of orcas around the world are explained, but only in the latter part of the book, at which point readers may have already made some incorrect inferences. I would expect better from a book written by an orca expert!

The photos are nice and the text is easy to read. But I'm not sure why the original focus--the southern resident orcas--wasn't kept throughout the book. Surely there are plenty of stories about these whales that could've been told without having to resort to general orca information.

This book has a fantastic combination of beautiful photography and pages with oodles of facts. Because there's a high level of detail, I think it's probably best suited for kids who already have an interest in Orcas or sea creatures, or for sea-oriented community outreach or educational programs (like at a school, park or aquarium!). However, this could also be just the ticket to get that nature-loving kid you know hooked on the magic of Orcas. There's a loosely-told story pulling all the facts together, and I think in the right hands this could become a favourite storytime book. Parents won't be too upset about that fact, I don't think, as there's plenty of Orca trivia for them to learn, too.

This informative book about orca whales is fun and educational. The language used is just right for kids from preschool-middle grades. There are fun facts and the author refers back to ideas previously mentioned which helps cement the idea in a child's head. Gorgeous photographs with captions accompany the story. Highly recommended for elementary or primary schools and students.

Orcas of the Salish Sea provides a stunning introduction to the beautiful "killer whales" of the waters off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. The photographs are extraordinary, and a little anthropomorphizing of the orcas will draw in young readers and help them understand the importance of humans protecting the orca habitat. This will be gifted to all my grandchildren.

Beautiful photos and current information regarding Orcas around the world, especially those in the Salish Sea. Would be a welcomed addition to my elementary school library. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.