Under Antarctic Ice: The Photographs of Norbert Wu

by Norbert Wu, Jim Mastro

The allure of Antarctica, a place still mysterious, untamed, and unspoiled, has beckoned tourists in increasing numbers as more and more people vie for a glimpse of its terrible beauty and stunning vistas. But there is one aspect of Antarctica they never see, perhaps the most interesting of all—the world beneath the ice. This book, a collection of the finest photographs ever taken underwater in deep Antarctica, illuminates a world brimming with strange and beautiful life forms. For the first time anywhere, Under Antarctic Ice brings together the stories, the science, and the natural beauty of one of earth's most vibrant and enchanting realms.

Internationally renowned photographer Norbert Wu was given unprecedented access to the icy waters off Antarctica by the U.S. National Science Foundation to obtain these dynamic photographs. In the extreme conditions that prevail in these seas, invertebrates can grow to enormous sponges are as big as bears, jellyfish tentacles extend thirty feet, and giant sea spiders crawl through beds of soft coral.

Wu has also focused his lens on the birds and mammals living at the edge of water and ice. We are humbled before mammoth icebergs, witness a killer whale stalking prey from a narrow crack in the ice, and see what penguins look like swimming underwater.

Jim Mastro's introductory text elegantly condenses forty years of scientific research into a clear and concise natural history of this unique place.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art, Nature, Science

176 pages, Hardcover

First published August 14, 2004

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically, the photos and work done in Antarctica is amazing. However, was there REALLY a need to repeat the book twice -- once by the Antarctic specialist Jim Mastro and secondly by the photographer. Couldn't we get this all together on one or two pages? It's a very heavy book so anything to make it lighter would be a plus. The prose by the specialist in the book's first half is very dry.

[Chantille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about the penguins and how they like to investigate dark objects on the ice. The photos of the ice-burgs and of arctic mammals were my favorite. I didn't really care for all the gross underwater spiders and stuff like that. After a while I just flipped through to the pages I liked.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great photography and great writing on a very interesting subject. I especially liked the photographer's notes at the end of the book, since they offer a little bit more of a personal perspective.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

900-foot viz. NINE HUNDRED. Fabulous pictures and lots of interesting text. A thoroughly enjoyable, visually stunning book.

[Jim Mastro]

I authored the main text. The photographs are all Norbert's, and he wrote the photo notes.