Dive: My Adventures in the Deep Frontier

Marine biologist Earle (Sea Change) makes a compelling argument that the ocean, rather than space, is the next frontier waiting to be explored in this personable photoessay. In the opening chapter, Earle tells how her curiosity about what lives in the sea was first sparked and describes her delight at early underwater excursions using a snorkel and, later, scuba gear. Four subsequent chapters recount seminal events in Earle's career: studying whales in their natural habitats from Hawaii to Glacier Bay, Alaska; spending two weeks working as an ""aquanaut"" in the Tektite underwater laboratory, 50 feet below the surface of the ocean; sporting a special underwater diving suit called ""Jim"" (originally designed for salvage operations) to conduct research at 1250 feet; and helping to create Deep Rover, a mini-submarine able to descend to depths of 3000 feet. The book's final chapter, a plea for protecting the earth's oceans from becoming a dumping ground, is eloquent but does not flow naturally from the rest of the book. Earle writes with immediacy and specificity; readers will feel as if they are swimming along beside her as she forays into the ocean's darkest depths. Close-ups of a humpback whale's tail or a jellyfish illustrate points in the text; photographs like the one of Earle walking the sea floor off of the Bahama Islands in her ""Jim"" diving suit next to an American flag drive home her point that sea and space are equally worth exploring. Ages 8-up. (Feb.)