A great book about Sharks. | The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea

Studying Sharks at Sea | The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea | Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau

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	• The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau Bristol Park Books, 1988 average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A great book about Sharks.

One of my proudest possessions is a personal letter from Jacques Cousteau which is framed and hangs on the wall of my study. Cousteau was more than just a great man and his books are a testament to his pioneering work involving so many different aspect of the sea and everything about the sea.

For many years the Shark was perceived as everything that was evil and frightening as far as the sea was concerned. No book about this splendid creature was complete without that section on Shark Attack. Not even the Lions from Africa plains or the North American Grizzly Bear got such a fearful press. Today, of course, the Shark is endangered and - suddenly!, we are all worried about the Great White and it's other equally magnificent cousins.

But take another look at this book's title. This book was fist published in 1970 and even then Jacques Cousteau referred to this creature as a "Splendid Savage." He uses those words in pretty much the same way as, say, a Victorian explorer might have described the people from a newly discovered tribe found deep in the Amazon jungle or wherever. That title is just another indication of how Cousteau's thinking was so far ahead of it's time.

The content is, therefore, relevant to the modern diver from the 21st Century. As with all the books in this series, it is a good read and I can only suggest all serious divers add a copy to their bookshelf before it finally becomes unavailable.

NM

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A great book about Sharks.

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Studying Sharks at Sea

This 1970 book tells about the Cousteau expedition to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and other waters. They uncovered marine fossils in the mountains of Malagasy. Their adventures were filmed to be shown on the television screens of the world. There were many financial obstacles, problems of research and documentation, the efforts of thousands of dives, and the weather problems at sea. Chapter 1 tells why the great blue shark is the most beautiful of all sharks. It is one of the most dangerous, and never runs in packs. Sharks fascinate people. This chapter tells about the 130-foot `Calypso' and the crew. There are many creatures in the sea that can kill a man (Chapter 2).

Chapter 3 tells of "the perfect killer", the long-armed open sea sharks. Sharks can detect pressure changes in water and have a keen sense of smell. Sharks often prey on mammals (Chapter 4). Dolphins can attack and kill sharks. Sharks attack dolphins for food. The killer whale is the most dangerous. Beating the water with your hands or crying out in the water will cause an attack by a shark (p.66). The odor of dead sharks repels other sharks (p.75). Chapter 6 explains how sharks are tagged. These Red Sea sharks are mostly territorial, staying in one place. Sharks can attack suddenly without warning. Chapter 7 tells how a shark attacked a dummy diver. A rubber diving suit offers no protection. Sharks do not usually eat carrion unless they are hungry (p.105). Sharks can preserve food in their stomachs for long periods (p.108). They did not find any device that would repel sharks.

Chapters 8, 9, and 10 tell of their experiences in the Red Sea (Derraka). A pack of small sharks present a danger to divers (p.141). The Shab Arab Reef protects small fish and attracts sharks. A feeding frenzy occurs. Divers were attacked by tiny isopods that bit off minute particles of flesh (p.192). Chapter 11 describes their meeting with a whale shark, the largest fish in the world. It eats plankton. There are various legends about sharks. Primitive peoples respected sharks because they feared them (p.212). Chapter 12 tells how sharks are studied by ringing a bell for feeding. The conclusions on shark behavior are in Chapter 13. All sharks are dangerous, large or small (p.236). Fear of a shark can provoke an attack (p.237). They offer practical advice about avoiding a shark attack (pp.239-240). Appendix B has drawings of ships, sharks, and their equipment.

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