Scales, a marine biologist , opens your eyes to the fascinating and relatively unknown world of the deep seas through her easy to read and insightful book.

I loved paging through picture books of the deep sea as a child, captivated and sometimes horrified by the strange and alien-like creatures who seem familiar and yet wholly strange to us. It kindled my interest in the oceans and filled my imagination with images of life, death, darkness, and flickers of light. I was apprehensive to listen to an audiobook about these wonderful animals with no visuals to guide the narrative. But Scales’ descriptions are so full of life, the inhabitants of the abyssal planes came to life in my mind from the start. She covers a variety of topics ranging from geography, economics, and biology. There are many charming tales about deep-sea oddballs like sea cucumbers and bone eating worms. I was amazed to learn about the painstaking research conducted over many years to better understand the complex ecosystems in what some believed are the most uninhabitable places on the planet. The vastness of the deep oceans means we’ve only just begun to understand it’s wonders and interconnectivity to our own lives.

‘As soon as you stop thinking about it, the deep can so easily vanish out of mind — more so than that other great distant realm, outer space. The deep has no stars at night to remind us it is there, and no moon shining down. And yet, this hidden place reaches into our daily lives and makes vital things happen without our knowing. The deep, quite simply makes this planet habitable.’

The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales

I did struggled to get through the last section of the book as it inevitably turned to environmental challenges and the exploitation of natural resources. I found it depressing and I could only digest the chapters in small chunks. But this is by no means a negative reflection on the book, but rather a reality of the times we live in.

I would highly recommend this one if you have an interest in the natural world and especially the deep sea.

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Thank you for visiting the Wild Library blog. You might also like The Wild Place by Macfarlane or The Hidden World of the Fox by Brand.

Happy reading,

Chantelle