SCUBA looks at two new books any diver would welcome for Christmas
At the Heart of the Coral Triangle - Celebrating Biodiversity by Alan J Powderham and Sancia van der Meij
ISBN : 978-0-367-42816-7 PRICE : £ 27.99 at tinyurl . com / 2p8r4dxs
I
’ ve been lucky enough to dive the coral triangle ( an area of South East Asia bordered by the Philippines , Borneo and Indonesia ) on several occasions over the last two decades , always with a camera in my hand and always with untold excitement in my head and heart . I ’ ve spent hours ‘ living ’ through my viewfinder the intimate and fascinating lives of the huge diversity of marine species this region hosts . I thought that through my own readings , observations and discussions with other enthusiasts that I had a good breadth and depth of knowledge about these reef systems . Picking up this book , however , brought me new and fascinating insights on every page . I devoured every one of its 200 + pages in one wonderful sitting , looking up finally as night had drawn in , and wondering where those hours had gone . The book is a collaborative work of absolute passion between underwater photographer and marine scientist , each double page spread revealing another mini-chapter of accessible scientific knowledge , illustrated by examples in the form of some very impressive photographic imagery . The writing draws on anecdotes very personal to the author , which tell engaging and compelling stories . These portray perfectly the relatable sense of excitement felt by myself and others lucky enough to have dived these waters . The book ’ s structure takes the reader on a journey through discussion of the building blocks of the reef ; onto some of the more fascinating species , their behaviours ( predation , reproduction , idiosyncrasies ) and symbiotic relationships . It leads to an inevitable call to action to conserve the region , to our best abilities . It is a perfect coffee table book that can be dipped in and out of , and is written in a style which will engage divers and non-divers alike . Importantly , a percentage of the sales proceeds are donated to Conservation International ’ s Coral Triangle Initiative , essential work in maintaining the beauty of this region . With the Philippines and Indonesia still closed to tourism at the time of writing , I honestly can ’ t think of a better alternative to fill your time until we can visit the region again . I really can ’ t recommend this book highly enough and I hope I ’ ve whetted your appetites to appreciate the work and passion for yourselves . Alex Tattersall
Expedition Britannic by Rick Ayrton , with Scott Roberts
PUBLISHED BY : Dived Up publications ISBN : 978-1-909455-41-2 PRICE : £ 25
Really deep diving is an activity which requires huge expenditure , years of training and vast amounts of equipment . After all of this , the diver gets to spend a few brief minutes on the intended target before they spend hours hanging in the blue waiting for their body to decompress enough for them to get out of the water . Most ‘ normal ’ divers look at this and wonder what sort of madness infects those of us who love it . Rick Ayrton ’ s new book ‘ Expedition Britannic ’ chronicles the successful trip that a team of mainly British divers completed in early 2019 to dive the Titanic ’ s sister ship , which rests on the seabed at 120m near the Greek Island of Kea . Unsurprisingly , given the photographic pedigree of the author , it is stunningly illustrated . Even in the Mediterranean , conditions make underwater photography at 90 + metres incredibly challenging . This is why the wide shots that convey the scale of the wreck are particularly impressive . Beyond the photography , Rick has succeeded in creating a book that is accessible to all readers . Structured sequentially , the narrative starts with the Britannic ’ s history before moving onto the expedition itself , encompassing the planning , buildup dives on the nearby SS Burdigala ( probably worth a book in itself !) and the diving . It culminates in a section of his own reflections , including some fascinating vignettes .
Rick ’ s great achievement is to explain the myriad of equipment and physiological complexities required for deep rebreather diving in a simple manner that makes it accessible to even non-divers . In order to cater for the more technically minded , he also includes a chapter with full details of the dive planning , explaining why specific decisions were made . From a BSAC perspective , it is also great to see the importance given to Gas Density and the reference to our tables . Expedition Britannic is a cracking book that will be of great interest to any diver , and many others . From my perspective , if I need to persuade anyone why I love deep diving then I ’ ll simply hand them a copy and wait for them to ask how they can sign up . Dom Robinson
13