The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs Hardcover – September 10, 2019

The author does a great job of making it interesting as well as informational and has great pictures in it

The World Beneath by Dr. Richard SmithDr. Richard Smith’s scientific articles and marine biographies are well known in the dive community and we eagerly await them in the latest dive magazines. So, it is with great anticipation that we greet his new book – The World Beneath – which is Dr. Smith’s personal story of the ocean. You can taste and feel the rhythm of the ocean in this wonderful book.Dr. Richard Smith is the exception to many marine biologists as he is not only a marine biologist but also an expert diver as well as a gifted photographer which deeply expands his knowledge of the critters and unique fish he studies. His intimate knowledge is apparent when he writes about his encounters in The World Beneath. Clearly many of these dives are very challenging and demonstrates Dr. Smith’s extraordinary competency as a diver. Who knew that a dive entry would involve repelling down a cliff with gear in hand to explore a hidden reef?The reason this book is such a jewel is that Dr. Smith has visited so many of our planet’s oceans ranging from Raja Ampat in Papua to New Zealand and the Galapagos and countless other remote destinations in between. With each destination, Dr. Smith introduces us to the bizarre and special critters of each area he explores in the book. The rainbow colored Leafy Sea Dragon in Australia, and the black and white dot and dash whale sharks in Cenderwasih, Indonesia are good examples of the range of Richard Smith’s work and his dedication to deliver a first-rate experience with each fish portrait. My favorite photo is the male Banggai cardinalfish mouth brooding his fry in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. The detail in the photo is exquisite not to mention the attention the fry are paying to the photographer! Reader beware, these photos are also artistic as evident with the juvenile pinnate batfish in West Papua, Indonesia.Dr. Smith shows the reader how demanding dedicated scientific study is through the daily multiple dives over many months to visit pygmy seahorses and learn about their behavior first hand. Who’d have thought that pygmy seahorse would have stretch marks after giving birth?The World Beneath is a wonderful font of information for both the armchair traveler as well as the avid diver. You’ll definitely enjoy this unique collection of photos and beautiful storytelling as you journey through The World Beneath. Be sure to share it with your friends.Laila Marie Al-AskariMaster Diver

Bought as a gift for "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" as we call him. He loved it! Great for aqua loving souls.

Dr Richard Smith's book - has to have been a labor love. Years of diving and taking pictures beautifully presented and intertwined with his marine biology and conservationist background come together is the marvelous book. It is readable - enjoyable - scientifically instructional. I've been diving for 50 years and learned of new creatures and how organism interact and support each other in ways I've not seen written about before. 300 + pages and I could not put it down - beyond the science, the storytelling quality keeps you engaged. Treat someone who scuba dives the coral reefs of the world with the gift of this book.

the book is alright, very informative but the sentence structure is a bit wonky time to time. but i will say the sleeve is so cool and the actual book is such an aesthetically appealing look

In The World Beneath, Dr. Smith takes us on a global oceanic journey, weaving a tapestry of oceanography, geology and biology, interspersed with interesting cultural tidbits, such as a ride with Nemo down the East Australian Current (the EAC).We learn about animals, fish and other “critters” from the seafloor through the open ocean, and how they have developed and interact with each other, in oftentimes fascinating symbiotic relationships.Dr. Smith also has a knack for finding and photographing often-overlooked fish and critters, as well as their behaviors. All these aspects of the ocean realm are explained and enhanced with hundreds of beautiful photos throughout the book.One of the many highlights is Dr. Smith’s compelling description of his groundbreaking research with Denise’s pygmy seahorses named Tom, Dick, Harry and Josephine on the Wakatobi Islands of Sulawesi, Indonesia.Engaging and entertaining, this a book you will enjoy many times and want to share with family and friends.

This book is so much fun to read - I wait for the moment when I can sit down and read more - who knew of the drama amongst tiny sea horses? Loads of interesting things happening in the undersea world, and Dr. RIchard Smith really brings it to life! The photos are really wonderful. The layout is beautiful, the text is well written and informative - I could not recommend this book more highly! Just the best!

A wonderful and well done document of Richard's work. Lots of amazing things to learn. A breathtaking accomplishment of work being shared with us. A 5-star book just for the striking and beautiful pictures alone. I'm glad I purchased this as a Kindle book because there was so much information to note and highlight. The high quality of the pictures allowed for enlarging them for closer observation. I originally began reading this from our local library before I realized that there was an interesting amount of information l wanted to highlight and further research.

Possui belas fotografias, além de ser muito informativo. Foi muito bem elaborado e as informações são bem divididas.

The photos are amazing.The information, focusing on select types of sea creatures, gave me a glimpse of the astounding complexity, colour & mysteries of creation

Superbes photos.

It's often hard for an expert to communicate effectively with a layman, but Richard Smith manages the tightrope act with aplomb, revealing secrets of coral reefs and some of their smaller, less well-known inhabitants in this fascinating and accessible book. For a diver, it's one of those rare books, like 'What a Fish Knows' that will considerably enhance your understanding and appreciation of what you are looking at as you swim along and add hugely to your enjoyment of our wonderful sport. I read the ebook version and the pictures looked great on my Kindle Fire.

A fascinating look into a little known or appreciated part of our wonderful world. I lingered long over the beautiful photos that accompanied the text.