Underwater to Get Out of the Rain: A Love Affair With the Sea

by Trevor Norton

On a hot summer's day there could be no quicker transport to the seaside than Trevor Norton's cool and entrancing account of a lifetime's adventures under or near the water. Norton's eye for the bizarre, amazing, and beautiful inhabitants of the oceans, and the eccentric characters who work, study, and live by the shore make his book a wonder-filled experience. An intrepid diver and distinguished scientist, Norton's writing is self-deprecating, very funny, and full of wry and intriguing anecdotes; he is an unfailingly delightful companion. Whether his setting is a bed of jewel anemones in an Irish lough, a giant California cavern shared with sea lions, a mildewed research station, or the glittering coral gardens of Sharm el Sheikh, his captivating prose always finds the mark. Sometimes following the shoreline with earlier beachcombers such as Darwin, John Steinbeck, and George Orwell, Norton also takes the reader to depths where the shapes of creatures living without sunlight defy imagination. Admirers of the gorgeous detail of Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us will revel in Norton's writing, his observations, and irreverent wit.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Memoir, Book Club, Biography, Nature, Biography Memoir

385 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Trevor Norton was an Emeritus Professor at the University of Liverpool, having retired from the Chair of Marine Biology. He has published widely on ecological topics. He was also an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Manx Studies on the Isle of Man where he lived.
(1940 - February 2021)

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevor Norton is one of my favorite non-fiction authors. His lyrical, concise and witty writing, spiced up with dry humor and unbelievable interesting stuff is a delight to read.

This book here was truly fascinating. On one hand, it’s his love declaration to the sea:

“Just beyond Skibbereen is Lough Ine, one of the most beautiful lakes in Ireland, yet not a lake at all […] – Lough Ine is an enclosed fragment of the sea masquerading as a lake. If you see the lough for the first time and are not entranced, feel your pulse, for you might just be dead.”

On the other hand is packed full of unique and not widely known facts about the history of the shores and islands he visited, population, their habits and myths, geology and, of course, biology, marine one in particular.

I laughed heartily at some of the situations – his humor is just irresistible – and I cried at others. Mostly I was just engrossed in all the details about aquatic life and not only.

It is a combination of autobiography and memoirs, travel and history with many interesting facts from other fields. There are also references and stories about Orwell and Steinbeck, the latter being good friend with marine biologist Ed Ricketts, who had a major influence on the writer’s works.

No matter what I say it’ll do no justice to this book, therefore I’ll leave you in the company of some fragments which were very hard to choose, for I have filled the book with sticky notes as highlights:

“One quiet days we amused ourselves by divining the character and lifestyle of those who had left their bum prints on the beach. The smallest pleat in the sand or asymmetry of cheeks would reveal acres of biographical detail. It was a form of palmistry and about as reliable.”

“In 1902, a woman was put up for a fellowship of the Royal Society, but rejected on the grounds that she was ineligible because as a woman she wasn’t a person. This behavior was not confined to Britain. Marie Curie, who was awarded two Nobel prizes (and in different subjects), was rejected for membership of the Academie de Science, the French equivalent of the Royal Society. Even today only 4 per cent of the Fellows of the Royal Society are female.”

“Barnacles are anchored to the rock by glue that sets rock hard and is impervious to acids, alkalis and extremes of temperature – so good that it was examined as a possible fixative for tooth filling. It is twice as strong as the glue that holds spacecraft panels together.”

“That anything could grow in this arid wilderness [El Golfo, Lanzarote] was a miracle. They had also cultivated cochineal beetles on Opuntia cactus. It took 70,000 bugs to make a pound of cochineal yet in 1860 the annual harvest had been worth $US 1 million. Then the development of aniline dyes ruined the market. Impenetrable thickets of the plants remained, some still blighted by the white fuzz of hairy beetles. In the 1920s, Opuntia spines had been the top-of-the-range gramophone needles for getting the best sound out of your 78s with the least amount of record wear. Then someone invented microgroove LPs and thereafter the cacti keep their spines for scratching tourists.”

“Sea cucumbers have some strange habits; if you handle them, they disgorge their viscera. The idea is perhaps to divert the predator with a snack while the cucumber sneaks away. It takes almost three months for its gut to regenerate and in the meantime it starves. Some sea cucumbers can breathe through their bottoms and have a tiny fish that lives in the backdraught. I don’t know why and an reluctant to ask. Its name is Proctophilus (bum loving).”

“While I was chatting to a local fisherman he caught a magnificent fish [salmon]. ‘That’s a great pity for I no have a license,’ he admitted sorrowfully. ‘I’ll have to throw it back.’ So he threw it in the back of his boat.”

[In Aden, South Yemen] ”Generous provision had been made for my food. A typical meal was a huge bowl of what I took to be mouse droppings and potatoes in hot, greasy water, smelling of spices and decomposition. […] At intervals, the toothless cook emerged to inspect my progress and inquire whether I had enjoyed the mouse droppings. Although I tried my best, it made no impression. The cook worried about my health and, noticing his filthy fingernails, so did I.”

“The explorer’s (and the author’s) dilemma is that, just as a rose petal is bruised by handling, entire living communities are vulnerable to the touch of humans. If we celebrate the beauty of a reef or a lagoon, we expose it to the dangers of excessive admiration. Nature thrives best on neglect.”

“If I have spent my life searching for the perfect shore, there were glimpses of perfection almost everywhere I looked. Even here [Whitley Bay]. Gazing into the aquarium ocean of a tide pool on one of saddest days of my file, the enthusiasm I have never managed to suppress rose again. Once you have a taste for the ocean, the intoxication lasts a lifetime.
Still, I envy those who explore this world for the very first time to discover the strung beads of magenta weed, hermit crabs with eyes on stalks and anemones with tentacles outstretched in anticipation of a lucky lunch. I wish tomorrow’s children all the surprise and wonder that have been mine.”

❤️❤️❤️

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This effervescently enjoyable book covers several genera, there is an element of travel journal as Trevor Norton tells us about the many places he has travelled to and through in his studies of marine life. There is an elements of natural history, ecology and of science in general so gracefully presented to the reader that it should be equally pleasing to scientists and non-scientists alike. There is an element of memoir, as we follow the author’s career as a scientist.

In Underwater, we accompany the author on his lifelong journey from beach to beach, seaweed to seaweed, snorkelling and diving his way around the world. Starting as a child by the beach, continuing as he went to uni and studied marine biology, Northumberland, Devon, the Isle of Mann and the Canary Islands are just a few of the places this book takes you. The truest beauty of this book was the writing style which I found very readable, entirely enjoyable and joyful. The quirky humour with which the author views the world is perfectly complements by the lovely little illustrations that pepper the pages of the book, done, I believe by the authors wife. Along the way the authors fascination for each topic is so infectious that I found myself becoming passionate about them as well, even the seaweed which I barely tolerated back when I was studying, I was enchanted by.

The biggest thing for me was that this book was indeed, as the subtitle says “A love affair with the sea” this was what I read it for and it did not disappoint. The fascination and love of the author for the seas and oceans of the world is a joy to read, all the way through. One of the things I realised about a hundred pages in, is that of all the books I have read about the sea this is one that feels most descriptive and which you feel the strongest sense of the different seas. It took me a while to pinpoint why I found this odd, but unlike many other books, in Underwater not all the text is given to the sea. The countries and towns, people and cultures, history and terrestrial ecology all feature too and eventually I came to see that this background information served as a setting, a framework if you will, to make the marine themes so much more vivid and real.

For a while I have been seeking out books that can re-ignite the breathless, boundless wonder for the marine world that I used to have, the encompassing wonder of the ocean and everything that lives in it, this book Idoes exactly that.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lighthearted look at the life of a marine biologist who fell in love with the sea at fourteen and never looked back. I have very little idea of the author's family life or personal triumphs or disappointments and I couldn't write a resume for him but I feel like I got to know the core person, his humor, his most interesting work moments and his professional "high" points.

This is one of those autobiographies with a style that I like very much. Interesting stories that if done well are interconnected to give a complete picture of a time period, a person or a profession.

[Mitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Norton- I want to call him Trevor because his style is very informal- writes about his life and mixes it together with oceanic biology and historical anecdotes. This would work better if it wasn't as choppy as the waves he occasionally describes, his hit-and-miss humor, and his brief descriptions of friends/colleagues who come to abrupt, horrible deaths shortly after being introduced. Don't go out of your way to read this one.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging romp through Norton's early inspiration and development as a bidding biologist. He got to travel to some very interesting places in the world that aren't often written about. Plus I love a book that leaves me with a list of more books to read. And no matter how old I get, great sketches and pictures never hurt.

[Enzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read

He sums it up perfectly in the final paragraph - Once you have a taste for the ocean, the intoxication lasts a lifetime.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As exciting as the ocean itself. “Once you have a taste for the ocean, the intoxication lasts a lifetime.”

“I wish tomorrow’s children all the surprise and wonder that have been mine.”

[Frank Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book heralds another delightful marine adventure by Norton, who has written two other beautifully crafted, and wonderfully humorous, books about the characters he has met, and some of the adventures he has had, in a lifetime as a marine biologist. It starts out with his memories of his childhood home, on St Mary's Island, Northumberland, before whisking us away to a series of globally-based adventures: Devon, via Liverpool to the island of Anglesey, North Wales, to his first encounter with the Port Erin Marine Laboratory, where... `I was the least famous marine biologist ever to work on the Isle of Man'. From Port Erin we are whisked over the oceans to Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, where by chance, I happened to read the book. How changed the Canaries are today from the time when the party of "least famous marine biologists" were met on the quay by Don Mariano López, local dignitary and ex-mayor, who arranged for their luggage to be taken away by donkey cart while inviting the all-too-rare visitors to join him in an eight-course lunch, followed by coffee and cognac.

As one follows his ocean-bound circumambulations, back to Scotland, and the Scottish Islands, to Lough Ine, in the Southwest of Ireland - where he based his book, Reflections on a Summer Sea - to San Juan Island, Washington, then the Monterey California of Steinbeck's day, every journey is imbued with characteristic charm and wit, and all the while enlivened by his sharp observation of the idiosyncrasies of human nature. His odyssey takes him a good deal further than I have room to describe, but permeating the exhilarating narrative of courage, luck, humor and adventure, is a chronicle of change, painful to witness in the working lifetime of one man. We observe, by degrees, the progressive overfishing and pollution of the oceans, and we share his dismay over the loss of a more innocent world. And, finally, we embrace Professor Norton's caretaker role in the closure of the Marine Laboratory in Port Erin, a victim of the financial constraints that have afflicted many university centers in the UK in the first years of the New Millennium.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book in the airport on the west coast and I loved it. Right up my alley as a non-fiction. My daughter is studying anthropology and this book taught me so much in that vain. The author tells stories of his travels and explorations - studies. Many of the countries or areas that he explores brought new insight and were indeed foreign territory in my mind. Some of the stories were sad. Some were a bit scary or risky. Interesting and a great book for anyone interested in this sort of direction in life.

I am new to 'goodreads' but thought that I would contribute by adding the books that I have read over the past year. It's a bit difficult to write a review months later. I remember enough about all of these books. They were 'good reads' or 'worthwhile reads' in my humble opinion. I am attempting to discuss what stood out for me.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful tale by a marine biologist about his passion for the sea and his decades of underwater explorations and discoveries. His is a charmed life indeed. One of the more fascinating factoids within: Barnacles are bisexual and have a penis 3-4 times taller than its shell. Out it leaps, thin and arching and dips into an adjacent barnacle as neat as a nib into a surprised inkwell. The recipient never sees it coming. Sadly, as one barnacle loses it virginity the other loses its apparatus, for the penis drops off! Barnacles are anchored by glue that sets rock-hard and is impervious to acids, alkalis and temperature extremes. The glue was considered as a possible fixative for tooth fillings and is twice as strong as the glue that holds spacecraft panels together.

[Sarahbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I wish I had the drive to do some of the things that the author has done! I found myself highlighting passage after passage in this book, my favorite being:

My love affair with the sea would lead me to walk on empty shores before the tourists invaded. And I would come to know the ocean as a wild aquarium, a laboratory, a cemetery for men and ships, and an anthology of legends. I would understand the spell it casts on fisherman, divers, treasure seekers and writers, for the the sea is a place for obsessives.

I learned so many interesting things about the underwater world that I love so much, and I thoroughly enjoyed Norton's tongue-in-cheek humor.

[Kenno82 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd previously read Stars Beneath the Sea by Trevor Norton and found his writing style quite enjoyable and punctuated with humour. While the overall book wasn't entirely compelling, I did have high hopes for this one. Norton's humour is still present, but I found the rambling nature of his anecdotes frustrating and hard to follow. Even within small chapters, there didn't seem to be anything that tied it all together. Again though, his writing can be very funny at times and he's a great character - clearly very knowledgable. I think I'll keep persisting with his writing hoping for something more.

[Trevor Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd say that marine scientists and ecologists might enjoy this book more than the acuba diver. It's pretty much an autobiography and although Norton can be a funny guy, his humour doesn't come through often enough to make the book interesting. Also, a major drawback is that his research was mainly conducted in cold water climates, and a fair bit of it out of the water, on the shoreline. At least the short chapters make it a book that's easy to put down and pick up again.

[Stacy Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers an array of natural history, all pertaining to the real-life underwater adventures I wish I was having. It's extremely informative, but he manages to hide the data inside the stories, so I didn't realize how much knowledge I was taking in until I found myself bringing up the subjects in everyday conversation. A definite recommendation to any natural science enthusiast.

[Avocados · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is all short chapters, each a little story. It was like going out to the bar with a marine biologist and having him tell you stories of his adventures. Lots of little jokes and funny tid-bits about his life. Yet, as a whole it did not captivate me and I found myself slogging through, determined to finish.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, a delightful reminiscence of a lifetime of diving all over the globe by a marine biologist, but with a healthy dose of travel writing, local history, anthropology, mythology, and just plain good storytelling. Not at all a heavyweight book, but was told in a friendly voice, like you were listening to your grandfather spin yarns on the front porch.

[Breelan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this. He had some good stories but there was something about his old-school style of writing that had me cringing. I do not like reading about dolphins raping people as if it were the most hilarious thing ever.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming memoir. I enjoyed (for the most part) Norton's sense of humour, and he was very good at giving the reader a sense of why he found certain things interesting. He does seem overly inclined to tell stories about unexpected deaths, though.

[Cindy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book once at a time in life where I had too much on my mind and couldn't pay attention. I just gave it a second chance and I am so glad I did. lovely pictures are painted in this text and it brings you mentally to the sea.

[Hope W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and would compare it to Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods - except for the fact that it has to deal with water. It is very informative, but a good read at the same time.

[Myradith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An autobiographical account from a British marine biologist and scuba diver. A nice blend of humor and science and a bit of history of diving.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd written this book...
...because the title is perfect.
...because I totally ID'd with the author's complete abandon when it comes to the ocean.
...because it's gorgeous.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book though I am a bit biased as an aspiring marine biologist myself.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short chapters of life as a marine biologist, all done with undiminished wonder.