Diving and oceanography coffee-table books are generally rife with beautiful, glossy pages of paradise islands, the Galapagos, or crystal-clear Caribbean water. This book, about diving in temperate waters between the tropical seas and the polar region, is different. Award-winning Irish photographer Collins dives in places like the Bay of Kerry in Ireland and Vancouver Island in the Pacific, as well as locations in Scotland, South Africa, and Tasmania. There, he encounters ghostly shipwrecks and some of the strangest creatures on the planet in kelp forests, on rocky shoals, and on open sand flats. From the bizarre wolf eel to the resident dolphin in Ireland's Dingle Harbor, surprises abound, even in dim, nutrient-rich seas. In more than 140 stunning portraits, Collins captures everything from the apex predator of the great white to the delicate tentacles of a jellyfish shifting in a current. Even the glass eye of a German submarine periscope serves as a haunting reminder of war, sea adventure, and the long history of the mariners. With Collins's personal accounts, quotes from historical marine explorers, and vivid photography, this collection is essential for enthusiasts of diving and marine studies. Recommended for public libraries.—Library Journal
