“The Southern Ocean is a wild and elusive place, an ocean like no other. With its waters lying between the Antarctic continent and the southern coastlines of Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa, it is the most remote and inaccessible part of the planetary ocean, the only part that flows around Earth unimpeded by any landmass. It is notorious amongst sailors for its tempestuous winds and hazardous fog and ice. Yet it is a difficult ocean to pin down. Its southern boundary, defined by the icy continent of Antarctica, is constantly moving in a seasonal dance of freeze and thaw. To the north, its waters meet and mingle with those of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans along a fluid boundary that defies the neat lines of a cartographer.” So begins Joy McCann’s Wild Sea, the remarkable story of the world’s remote Southern, or Antarctic, Ocean. Unlike the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Oceans with their long maritime histories, little is known about the Southern Ocean. This book takes readers beyond the familiar heroic narratives of polar exploration to explore the nature of this stormy circumpolar ocean and its place in Western and Indigenous histories. Drawing from a vast archive of charts and maps, sea captains’ journals, whalers’ log books, missionaries’ correspondence, voyagers’ letters, scientific reports, stories, myths, and her own experiences, McCann embarks on a voyage of discovery across its surfaces and into its depths, revealing its distinctive physical and biological processes as well as the people, species, events, and ideas that have shaped our perceptions of it. The result is both a global story of changing scientific knowledge about oceans and their vulnerability to human actions and a local one, showing how the Southern Ocean has defined and sustained southern environments and people over time. Beautifully and powerfully written, Wild Sea will raise a broader awareness and appreciation of the natural and cultural history of this little-known ocean and its emerging importance as a barometer of planetary climate change.

"Conservationist and National Geographic photographer Thomas Peschak shares more than 200 of his images and the stories behind them"--

"When I sailed to Greenland with 1994 Whitbread Round the World Race winner Ross Field, I knew many yachties would want to know how Ross applied 35 years' ocean racing experience to the refit of his 20-year-old, 55ft aluminium sloop; how he managed his boat at sea, especially through North Atlantic storms; follow closely as Ross weather-routed us around dangerous storms and hear some war stories from his yacht racing days. Wild Seas to Greenland has many tips for safer, more comfortable cruising, as well as a glimpse of the wildlife and people we met in an extraordinary Arctic destination."--www.rebeccahayter.co.nz.

This is the story of two men who followed their dream of crossing an ocean and discovered the adventure of a lifetime. Former army officer, mountaineer and film stuntsman Mike Noel-Smith couldn't resist when his friend Rob Abernethy called him up one day and suggested the ultimate challenge becoming the first Britons to row the Indian Ocean. The pair took advice from expert seamen, studied weather charts, trained for months, and planned the trip down to the last detail. But like many before them, they discovered that the sea is a dangerous and ungovernable mistress, capable of turning from calm to lethal rage. This is a pacey, often funny, and ultimately touching tale of courage, fear, love and bloody mindedness in the face of the unconquerable power of the ocean. Adventurous readers will wish they'd been able to join Mike and Rob on their unforgettable trip, sharing every twist and turn, triumph and disaster. The rest will be glad they stayed at home and enjoyed the book!

Explores America's twelve marine sanctuaries, from the relics of lost ships at Monitor Marine Sanctuary in North Carolina to the huge underwater cliffs in Monterey Bay, California.

In this inspiring manifesto, an internationally renowned ecologist makes a clear case for why protecting nature is our best health insurance, and why it makes economic sense.

"National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala takes readers on an unforgettable journey to 10 places where the ocean is virtually untouched by man, offering a fascinating glimpse into our past and an inspiring vision for the future. From the shark-rich waters surrounding Coco Island, Costa Rica, to the iceberg-studded sea off Franz Josef Land, Russia, this incredible photographic collection showcases the thriving marine ecosystems that Sala is working to protect. Offering a rare glimpse into the world's underwater Edens, more than 200 images take you to the frontier of the Pristine Seas expeditions, where Sala's teams explore the breathtaking wildlife and habitats from the depths to the surface--thriving ecosystems with healthy corals and a kaleidoscopic variety of colorful fish and stunning creatures that have been protected from human interference. With this dazzling array of photographs that capture the beauty of the water and the incredible wildlife within it, this book shows us the brilliance of the sea in its natural state."--