Water and Light: A Diver's Journey to a Coral ReefThe New York Times–bestselling author’s memoir of diving in the Caribbean offers “in precise, lucid, prose, the marvels of the sea bottom” (New Yorker). Author Stephen Harrigan spent months diving on the coral reefs of Grand Turk Island in the Caribbean. In this evocative account, he describes his many explorations, both personal and natural. Though he is there to learn about the history of the coral reef, Harrigan freely admits that his true motivation is to become, at least for a time, his “underwater self.” “Moving, intelligent and, in the best sense, literary. . . . Stephen Harrigan is anchored in reality; he knows that the environment he's describing is in serious jeopardy. At the same time, he has made this book sparkle with his remarkable ability to discuss the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of underwater exploration without ever sounding saccharine or murky.” —New York Times Book Review |
Contents
Dry Dock | |
Harmonium Point | |
Trees of Stone | |
Tierra | |
Eye to | |
The Pain of Water | |
The Dead Whale | |
Underwater Nights | |
Lord Face of Water | |
Homesick Turtles | |
Wandering | |
The Green Mirror | |
Prospects | |
The Burning Reef | |
For Further Reading | |
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Common terms and phrases
algae Aqua-Lung arms baby barracuda beach began beneath blenny blue boat body bottom breath bubbles burrow Cockburn Town color conch coral heads coral polyps Cousteau crabs creatures dark decompression stop deep divers diving dolphins drifted edge eels eggs eyes face feel feet felt fins fish flippers floating front gear Grand Turk groupers hand Harmonium Harmonium Point hole human humpback humpback whale imagination inside Island Reef Jacques Cousteau lagoon light living lobsters looked manta manta rays mask Mitch moray moray eel mouth moving never night nitrogen narcosis ocean octopus once parrotfish plankton pressure prey pulled rays sand flats scooter scuba sea turtles seemed sharks shell ship sight skin slipped snorkel species sponges squid stroked surface surge swam swimming tank tentacles thought took Turks and Caicos turned turtle grass underwater waiting walked wall wanted watched waves weight belt wetsuit whale wrasses