Secrets of the Ocean Realm

Dive International

"Secrets of the Ocean Realm confirms not only that Howard Hall is the finest and most adept underwater film-maker of our time, but he is also a world-class raconteur. The book is filled with stunning still images from three decades under the sea and the stories of how they were taken....Michele Hall's contributions of still images...verifies a talent equal to her husband's at capturing natural behaviour and the beauty of sea life."

VOYA - Kevin Beach

This is the photographic companion to the successful PBS series, whose creators spent months filming and exploring the sea's mysteries, its unique environs, and the kaleidoscopic variety of marine life found in the ocean's realm. This book also covers the difficulties of successfully and unobtrusively diving into these alien landscapes with cameras, lights, and an abundance of equipment. The frustrations, boredom, and perils encountered in every dive, as well as the thrill of getting that perfect shot, are described. Accounts of the psychological terror of night dives, and the awe-inspiring sound of pounding rain eighty feet below the water's surface, provide a real sense of the thrill of diving. Chapter highlights include an examination of the complexity of the coral reef, the staggering abundance of some species when spawning, the sheer strength of sea turtles, the unusual mating rituals of whales, the newly discovered behaviors of marlins herding sardines to slaughter, and dolphins digging razorfish from the ocean bottom. Sharks and the great misconceptions about them are the emphasis of an interesting chapter detailing a swim with a school of four hundred hammerheads. Ironically, Peter Benchley, author of Jaws (which raised the fear of sharks to a frenzy in the '70s) wrote the introduction. He calls for the preservation and protection of the oceans, pointing out that less than five percent of the world's ocean area has been seen or explored by humans. Hopes for the discovery of new plant and animal species, and the protection of those in known areas, are stressed. Not really practical as a resource for reports, and a little pricey, this book did help this reviewer to see marine creatures as more fascinating than creepy. Viewers of the PBS special will appreciate reading about its production. The photographic works of art make this a wonderful coffee table book for browsing. Photos. VOYA Codes: 5Q 2P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written, For the YA with a special interest in the subject, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).