Murmurs From The Deep: Scientific Adventures in the Caribbean
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
A scientific expedition into unknown parts of the Caribbean to study the tectonic plates of the region answers the intriguing question: Is there a language of fish? Gilles Fonteneau, a longtime colleague of the legendary Jacques Cousteau's Calypso team, fulfilled a lifelong dream when in 2001 he launched his own exploration, aboard the 45-foot catamaran Prince de Vendee, into the silent world of the sea. Little did he know when he set out that his efforts to better understand the dynamics of the tectonic plates of the region would have such worldwide significance, as shown by the tsunami disaster of southeast Asia in December 2004. His second goal, sponsored by NASA and the Bacardi Family Foundation, to make acoustic recordings of the region's fish, produced startling results, which will go a long way toward understanding and protecting threatened species. As fascinating as it is scientifically revealing, Murmurs From The Deep sheds new light on the ever-mysterious underwater world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Free from the usual constraints of time and money, retired French business executive Fonteneau embarks on a fantasy jaunt around the Caribbean, recording the sounds of fish as he sails from island to island. Fonteneau tries to give the narrative a sense of urgency by beginning with a vignette featuring armed Venezuelan soldiers, but this feels like a misstep, as his story is essentially that of a pleasant excursion. His work will interest armchair sailors more than biologists; Fonteneau is as captivated by sunsets, bioluminescent bays, islanders' stories and eating fresh fish in beachside restaurants as he is with his mission of recording fish talk. And though his descriptions of the people he encounters feel flat and the story is lighter on adventure than some readers will prefer, there are enough delightful fish episodes and rose-colored skies to inspire anyone's inner marine explorer.
