Planktonia
Hardcover, published Oct. 2022 (US, Canada, UK, Europe, World; Japanese edition, Hara Shobo, Tokyo, Japan, 2023), 176 pages, 10 inches (25.4 cm) square, 160+ photos, references, glossary, index. Join the greatest migration on Earth, occurring all over the global ocean. Meet these tiny, magnificent wonders and terrors of the sea that rise up from the depths every night. Meet the divers, photographers and scientists and read their stories. With rare, state-of-the-art macrophotography and insightful tales of the creatures and the scientists and photographers who are discovering these new life forms. Adult nonfiction but suitable for all ages. Awarded May 2023: Best Nonfiction Book of 2022—Young Adult/Children, American Society of Journalists & Authors—ASJA, New York
Strange Sea Creatures
Paperback, Mar. 2024, hardcover, Nov. 2020 (US, Canada, UK, Europe, World; Shanghai Scientific & Technological Literature Press, Shanghai, China, 2025, 112 pages, 90+ photos, index. All new undersea stories from the “Creatures” series of books by Erich Hoyt. Beautifully designed award-winning gift book for all ages “celebrating the ocean’s wonders… show-casing the mesmerising range of life far beneath the waves.”—BBC Wildlife
Orca: The Whale Called Killer
Expanded new edition, Sept. 2019 (2020 in UK, Europe; Japanese edition, 2000; Complex Chinese translation in process for 2025). Paperback, 320 pages + 32 pages color signatures, 100+ pages of new text, photos, illustrations & maps. “Superb…one of the best nature books of the year”—Publishers Weekly
Creatures of the Deep
Paperback, 3rd edition, 2021. 288 pages. 135 photos and illustrations. Shanghai Scientific & Technological Literature Press, Shanghai, China, 2025. Dive to the bottom to the bottom of the sea, walk along the world’s longest mountain range and get face to face with new species being discovered in the deep. “Outstanding Book of the Year”, American Society of Journalists & Authors, New York
Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
Paperback, updated 2nd edition, gift book for all ages, 400 state of the art photos & illustrations, 300 pages, Nov. 2023. Hardcover, 1st edition, 2017. National Geographic Japan, Tokyo, 2024. Multi award winning: “One of the best reference titles of the year… immerses readers in the world of these marine mammals. An excellent balance of scientific study combined with a deep concern for conservation and habitat preservation.” — Library Journal
Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
Paperback, 2nd edition, 2011. 477 pages. Fully revised, 20 colour plates, 100+ maps, figures, tables & boxes, 10 case studies, bibliog., index, 8 3/4 x 11 inches. Taylor & Francis/Routledge and Earthscan, London & New York. “This extraordinary volume continues to be the ‘bible’ of cetacean habitat conservation efforts.” — Marine Ecology
Weird Sea Creatures
Hardcover/ paperback, 2013, reprint 2019. For ages 10 to adult, good intro for adults. 64 pages, 50 colour photographs, 9 x 9 inches. Firefly Books, US, UK and Canada. An illustrated look at the weird and wonderful creatures that live in some of the deepest parts of the sea. “Eerie, riveting eye candy for budding biologists and casual browsers alike.” — Kirkus Reviews
Whale Rescue
Hardcover/ paperback for ages 10 to adult, good intro for adults. 64 pages, 9 x 9 inches. Firefly Books, US, UK and Canada. “We all need heroes…A rewarding, inspiring look at…whales and dolphins and people who have committed their lives to finding scientific solutions.” — William Rossiter, Cetacean Society International
The Earth Dwellers
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster, New York; paperback, Touchstone. 320 pages, 6 x 9 inches. “Intriguing… enthralling… The ant’s eye view of life works spectacularly… a few of the ants Mr. Hoyt describes are even as likeable as the people.” — The New York Times
Insect Lives
Hardcover Wiley, New York; paperback, Harvard University Press. 360 pages, 6 x 9 inches. “Erich Hoyt and Ted Schultz share their magnificent obsession in Insect Lives…a tour de force of popularization. An excellent, illuminating compendium.”—New Scientist
Seasons of the Whale
Hardcover, paperback, e-book, latest edition 2013. 128 pages. “Nature writing at its best.” — Helen Johnston, author, editor. “An enthralling story… authoritative, interesting and exciting. Read this book and be astonished.” — Science Books & Films, AAAS
Book List by Category
Narrative nonfiction (author)
Orca: The Whale Called Killer (Five editions: Dutton, New York; Hale, London; Firefly, Toronto; Dobutsu Sha, Tokyo; Kindle eBook, ePub edition; Firefly, 5th expanded edition, 9/2019)
The Earth Dwellers (Six editions: Simon & Schuster, New York; Touchstone, New York; Kagaku Asahi, Tokyo; Hainan, China; Mainstream, UK)
Large format illustrated narrative nonfiction (author)
Seasons of the Whale (Eight editions: Chelsea Green, US; Nimbus, Canada; Mainstream, Edinburgh & London; Marcel Broquet, Montreal & Paris; HSI, Washington, DC; WDCS, UK; Nature Editions, UK, e-book)
Creatures of the Deep (Four editions: Firefly, Toronto, New York, 2001, 2014, 2021; Shanghai Scientific & Technological Literature Press, Shanghai, China, 2025)
Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Three editions: hardcover edition, 2017; paperback 2nd edition update, Firefly, Toronto, New York, 2023; National Geographic Japan, Tokyo, 2024)
Large format illustrated nonfiction (with co-authors as noted)
Planktonia (Two editions, hardcover edition: Firefly, Toronto, New York, 2022; Japanese edition, Hara Shobo, Tokyo, Japan, 2023)
Strange Sea Creatures (Three editions, hardcover edition, 2020; updated paperback, Firefly, Toronto, New York, 2024; Shanghai Scientific & Technological Literature Press, Shanghai, China, 2024)
Whales, Dolphins & Porpoises (with Mark Carwardine, Ewan Fordyce and Peter Gill) (Nineteen editions: Harper-Collins, London; Time-Life/Discovery Channel, New York; Fog City Press, San Francisco; Könemann, Germany, France and Netherlands; Planeta, others)
Sharks & Whales (with Leighton Taylor and Mark Carwardine) (Fog City Press, San Francisco; other editions)
Anthologies (as editor and co-author)
Insect Lives (with Ted Schultz) (Five editions: Wiley, New York; Harvard University Press, Cambridge; Mainstream, Edinburgh & London; Amazon Kindle edition)
Academic books (with co-authors as noted)
Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Earthscan, Taylor & Francis, London and New York) (First edition, 2005; Second, completely revised edition, 2011)
Humpback Whales of Russian Far East Seas. Photo-ID Catalog 2004-2014. (with Alexander Burdin and Olga Titova) (Russian Geographical Society, Moscow, Russia)
The Killer Whales of Eastern Kamchatka (with Alexander Burdin, Olga Filatova and Hal Sato) (Alaska SeaLife Centre, USA)
Marine Mammals of Russia (with Alexander Burdin and Olga Filatova) (Kirov, Russia)
The Performing Orca (WDCS, UK)
Conserving the Wild Relatives of Crops (Six editions: Addison-Wesley, Boston & México DF; WWF-IUCN-IPGRI, Geneva and Rome; BRG, Paris; IBAMA, Brasilia; and others)
Children’s nonfiction (author)
Weird Sea Creatures (Three editions: hardcover, paperback, Firefly, Toronto, New York, 2013; Kagaku-Dojin Publishing Co., Inc., Tokyo, 2021)
Whale Rescue (Two editions: hardcover, paperback, Firefly, Toronto, New York, 2005)
Meeting the Whales (Two editions: hardcover, paperback, Camden House, Firefly, Toronto, New York, 1992)
Riding with the Dolphins (Two editions: hardcover, paperback, Camden House, Firefly, Toronto, New York, 1994)
Extinction A-Z (Enslow, NJ)
Guide books (author)
The Whale Watcher’s Handbook (Six editions: Doubleday, New York; Penguin, Toronto, London; Stein, Germany)
The Whales of Canada (Camden House, Firefly, Toronto, New York)
e-books (author, editor)
Whale Watching Blueprint I (Nature Editions, UK)
Insect Lives (Wiley, New York)
Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Earthscan, Taylor & Francis, New York & London)
Orca: The Whale Called Killer (Firefly, Toronto, New York)
Creatures of the Deep (Firefly, Toronto, New York)
Seasons of the Whale (Nature Editions, UK)
Chapters in books (author, partial list)
Whales and Dolphins: Cognition, Culture, Conservation and Human Perceptions (P. Brakes and M.P. Simmonds, editors; Earthscan/ Taylor & Francis, London and New York)
Sharks. Conservation, Governance and Management (Techera, E.J. and N. Klein, eds.), Routledge, New York and Oxford
Whale-watching. Sustainable Tourism and Ecological Management (Higham, J., Bejder, L. and R. Williams, eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 3rd edition (Würsig et al, editors, Academic Press, San Diego) — 2 articles
Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 2nd edition (Perrin et al, editors, Academic Press, San Diego) — 2 articles
Between Species: Celebrating the Dolphin-Human Bond (T. Frohoff and B. Peterson, editors; Sierra Club Books)
Down to Earth (Michael Rosen, Editor; Harcourt Brace, San Diego, New York)
Ecotourism: Focus on Wildlife and Local Communities (Icfai University Press, Hyderabad, India)
Encyclopedia of the Biosphere: A Guide to the World’s Ecosystems (Gale + Spanish and Catalan editions) — 5 sections
Political Life in Canada (Prentice-Hall, Toronto)
Caribbean Islands Handbook
Mexico Handbook
Greenpeace Book of Dolphins
Tools of the Writer’s Trade (ASJA, Harper Collins, New York)
Where to buy my books
My books can be purchased as personally signed copies with shipping anywhere in the world. Go to erichhoytbooks.com.
My books can also be obtained through independent booksellers as well as online from amazon and other websites in most countries (search by author or title): www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.cn , www.amazon.in and www.amazon.jp. Some titles are available in foreign language translations (in Japan, China, France, Germany and other countries).
To find out about quantity book orders at discount (for museums, whale watching operators, ferry companies, cruise ships, book/ gift shops and conservation groups), click here.