Beneath Cold Seas

Book excerpt: In Beneath Cold Seas, author and photographer David Hall takes us into the underwater world of the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska, home to the most diverse and spectacular marine life of any temperate or cold-water ecosystem on the planet. From the tiny, candy-stripe shrimp, giant Pacific octopus, ghost-like hooded nudibranchs, and migrating sockeye salmon to the world's largest sea lions, Hall's stunning photographs and lively text reveal many fascinating species interrelationships and rarely observed animal behaviors. An innovative approach to over/underwater photography places the marine life of the Pacific Northwest in familiar context with hauntingly beautiful images that will surprise even experienced divers and delight the rest of us. An introduction by Sarika Cullis-Suzuki focuses on the conservation issues facing this rich yet vulnerable ecosystem.