[.ca] Blue Meridian (ISBN 0140265139)

great, informative book.:
If you are interested in great white sharks, this is the book for you. It's fun and informative. I have to disagree with one fact the book gives, however. The great white shark is not the most dangerous predator of the ocean. That would be the killer whale. They are larger, smarter, faster, more agile, and able to hunt cooperatively. Also, very recently a famous marine biologist observed predatory sharks larger than the great white (at least thirty feet long) deep in the Pacific ocean. They apparently live very far down, however, and could never be a danger to humans.

Oceanic Adventure:
Blue Meridian is one of the great stories of underwater adventure and exploration. It's an account of the first substantial expedition to find and film the great white shark, and was conducted long before this type of film became routine (ala any Discovery Channel shark special). As such, not only is the reader presented with a wonderful and fast-paced story, but they are also exposed to a great deal of the (now) history of SCUBA diving and marine science. Because this was one of the first attempts to deal with sharks at close quarters, many of the techniques for filming sharks were tried for the first time during this expedition, and many of these techniques haven't been tried since (such as open-ocean swimming with feeding oceanic white-tips). There are also some charming anachornisms, such as Peter Matthiessen describing Peter Gimble giving him the "ok" symbol; a symbol now known to every diver, but then apparently new. There's a lot to find in this book. Don't be put off by its short length.

Great adventure:
It's wonderful to be able to read the narrative of shark dives from the safety and comfort of home. This is a great narrative of the expedition to search for the Great White shark...hopefully the numerous "specials" on TV and the recent article in National Geographic will help "save" this treasure of the ocean. You can't help but get involved with this book, just as exciting and fascinating as any novel. If you enjoyed this one, try _Snow Leopard_ or _Indian Country_.

An excellent work about sharks:
I have very much enjoyed reading this book again and again, especially in conjunction with the film that the book describes being filmed, "Blue Water White Death", which so far as I am aware has not appeared in video form or I would surely have it in my collection by now. The film is acknowledged to be one of the better shark films in existence, and the book somewhat pales in comparison, but a worthwhile read nonetheless. I have read the hardback edition and now own the paperback. I must say I miss the color plates which are in the hardback edition. I sincerely hope someone will transfer the film to video at some point.

A story like no other:
In a time when the thought of swimming with sharks was to have a death wish, five diver/photograghers and one expedition historian set to the high seas in search of the ellusive Great White shark. This book follows the expedition from the cold waters of South Africa, throughout the Indian Ocean, and ultimately to Dangerous Reef, South Australia in search of thier quarry. Matthiessen Beautifully portays the ocean environment as one of danger and excitement. Having candid encounters with Oceanic Whitetips, hand feeding a barracuda, playing with sea lions, and finally discovering the Great White Death. This book is an excellent companion to the film "Blue Water, White Death".