A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater PioneerThis engaging memoir presents one man's lifelong love of the ocean and gives a highly personal, behind-the-scenes look at California's magnificent and innovative aquariums. David Powell, for many years curator of the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, tells the story of his life as a pioneering aquarist. From handling great white sharks to transporting delicate fish on bumpy airplanes to night diving for fish in the Indian Ocean, A Fascination for Fish describes many of the mind-boggling challenges that make modern aquariums possible and offers an intriguing glimpse beneath the ocean's surface. Powell's career in diving and aquarium development goes back to the beginning of modern methods in both areas. From the early techniques he devised to get fish into aquariums alive and healthy to his later exploratory dive to a depth of eleven hundred feet in a two-person submarine, Powell's action-packed narrative inspires laughter, wonder, and philosophical reflection. A Fascination for Fish also includes many stories about Powell's diving adventures on the California coast, in the Sea of Cortez, and in many remote and exotic locations around the world. |
Contents
| 1 | |
MARINELAND OF THE PACIFIC | 15 |
A FIRST LOOK AT REALISM | 28 |
THE ROAD TO GONZAGA BAY | 42 |
THE STEINHART AQUARIUM | 48 |
SAN FRANCISCO AND THE SEA OF CORTEZ | 54 |
SEA WORLD AND SOUTH | 66 |
CARNIVAL IN MAZATLXN | 87 |
TO CHILE EASTER ISLAND AND RAROTONGA | 175 |
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM | 184 |
CREATING THE EXHIBITS | 191 |
AQUARISTS AT WORK | 205 |
COLLECTING THE FISH | 216 |
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW | 238 |
THE OPEN OCEAN | 250 |
PELAGIC FISHES | 269 |
Other editions - View all
A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater Pioneer David C. Powell No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
angelfish animals aquar aquarists Baja California beach beautiful biologists blue shark boat Bob Kiwala bottom bull shark Cabo San Lucas catch caught Chuck coelacanth collecting trip colorful coral creatures Dave display divers dolphins eels exhibit tank fascinating feeding feet fiberglass flashlight fish Freya giant Gulf habitats headed holding tank hook hundred invertebrates island jellies keep Kelp Forest knew later learned lifted live looked mammal marine Marineland Mazatlán mola Monterey Bay Aquarium morays needed night diving open ocean oxygen Pacific Packard Photo by author pilings plastic pulled pump reef rockfish rocks San Diego San Felipe San Francisco sand Scripps scuba Sea of Cortez sea otter Sea World seawater sevengills species staff Steinhart Aquarium surface swam swimming tide pool took transport tank truck tuna underwater visitors wall whale white shark wrasses
Popular passages
Page ii - The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans, and this series of books is intended to further that goal.