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Strange Sea Creatures
10 inches x 10 inches, hardcover with flap, 112 pages
Full color photographs throughout, glossary, index
Praise for Creatures of the In Search of the Sea's Monsters and the World They Live In :
"Erich Hoyt captures the excitement and beauty of recent advances [in ocean science]. With lavish photos and engaging, accurate prose, he takes readers on a journey of wonder through the ocean's layers and around the planet, shedding light on extraordinary lives."
-- BBC Wildlife
Marine researchers are discovering new ocean creatures every day, especially at its deepest depths. From the author of Creatures of the Deep , Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises and other books about the ocean and the animals that live there, comes a new title about some of the most unusual marine life forms.
The book organizes the creatures into three parts based on where they live in the ocean. Each part has representatives from the various marine animal classes (e.g., fish, crustaceans, jellyfish and siphonophores, squids, tunicates and other invertebrates). Informative captions accompany the 90 gorgeous photographs of otherworldly creatures.
Part 1: Surface Waters of the Ocean at The Blackwater Vertical Migrators
Part 2: Middle to Deep Dark Masters of the Language of Light
Part 3. The Continental Shelf to the Abyssal The Bottom Dwellers
The introduction to each part of the book describes what makes the ocean waters at that depth unique, and why it is home to specific types of sea life. The photographs were taken in the ocean by expert divers and submariners, most of whom are both scientists and underwater photographers. The images display the creatures vividly against a background as black as the ocean depths.
Full color photographs throughout, glossary, index
Praise for Creatures of the In Search of the Sea's Monsters and the World They Live In :
"Erich Hoyt captures the excitement and beauty of recent advances [in ocean science]. With lavish photos and engaging, accurate prose, he takes readers on a journey of wonder through the ocean's layers and around the planet, shedding light on extraordinary lives."
-- BBC Wildlife
Marine researchers are discovering new ocean creatures every day, especially at its deepest depths. From the author of Creatures of the Deep , Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises and other books about the ocean and the animals that live there, comes a new title about some of the most unusual marine life forms.
The book organizes the creatures into three parts based on where they live in the ocean. Each part has representatives from the various marine animal classes (e.g., fish, crustaceans, jellyfish and siphonophores, squids, tunicates and other invertebrates). Informative captions accompany the 90 gorgeous photographs of otherworldly creatures.
Part 1: Surface Waters of the Ocean at The Blackwater Vertical Migrators
Part 2: Middle to Deep Dark Masters of the Language of Light
Part 3. The Continental Shelf to the Abyssal The Bottom Dwellers
The introduction to each part of the book describes what makes the ocean waters at that depth unique, and why it is home to specific types of sea life. The photographs were taken in the ocean by expert divers and submariners, most of whom are both scientists and underwater photographers. The images display the creatures vividly against a background as black as the ocean depths.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published October 30, 2020
1 person is currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Erich Hoyt
38 books39 followersErich Hoyt has spent much of his life on or near the sea, working with whales and dolphins and marine conservation. An award-winning author, he has written or co-written 25 books and hundreds of magazine articles on whales, dolphins, as well as the deep sea, ants, insects, wild plants and other subjects.
His latest books include Planktonia (2022, 176pp, 150+ photos) and Strange Sea Creatures (2021), both of which offer a deep dive into the new species scientists are discovering in the ocean, some of them no larger than a fingernail. In 2019, he produced an expanded, updated edition of his best-selling Orca: The Whale Called Killer, lavishly illustrated with 90 all new photos, illustrations and maps. Before those books, Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (2017) chronicled the 40-year revolution in whale research with first-hand stories and insights into the lives of these highly social, intelligent mammals and the drive to save their habitat. Other books include the award-winning Creatures of the Deep (2014) and Weird Sea Creatures (2013) — both of which explored the frontiers of the deep sea with state of the art photography and tales of bizarre new species.
Erich is currently Research Fellow with WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the UK. For the past 20 years, he has jointly directed the first killer whale (orca) study in eastern Russia (in Kamchatka), an international collaboration with Russian scientists. The project won the prestigious Klüh Prize for Innovation in Science ($10,000 prize) from Germany. Erich is also a member of the International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas and co-chair of the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Area Task Force.
Erich has authored numerous conservation and scientific papers and reports as a consultant and advisor for international conservation groups and governments and is considered an authority on whales and dolphins, marine-protected areas and marine conservation, whale watching and ecotourism. He has given talks in Japan, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Iceland, Mexico, Chile, Canada, U.S., Germany and the Caribbean. He has also taught as a visiting lecturer at the Ohio State University, the University of Edinburgh, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Erich’s magazine and newspaper credits include: National Geographic, Natural History, Geographical, New Scientist, Canadian Geographic, The Sunday Times (London), The Guardian, The New York Times, Hakai, Defenders, International Wildlife. Twice a James Thurber Writer-in-Residence, and a Vannevar Bush Fellow at MIT and Harvard in 1985-86, he has 15 magazine and book awards including the Outstanding Book of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists & Authors, Inc., in New York (2002) and the Choice selection as one of its Outstanding Academic Books (2012).
Three of his adult nonfiction books, The Earth Dwellers, Insect Lives and Orca: The Whale Called Killer, have been optioned for films. His books for children (age 10+) include Weird Sea Creatures, Whale Rescue, Meeting the Whales and Riding with the Dolphins (all published by Firefly Books) and Extinction A-Z. His books have been published in 15 languages in 25 countries.
A dual Canadian-American citizen, Erich lives in Dorset, England, with his wife and four children.
His latest books include Planktonia (2022, 176pp, 150+ photos) and Strange Sea Creatures (2021), both of which offer a deep dive into the new species scientists are discovering in the ocean, some of them no larger than a fingernail. In 2019, he produced an expanded, updated edition of his best-selling Orca: The Whale Called Killer, lavishly illustrated with 90 all new photos, illustrations and maps. Before those books, Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (2017) chronicled the 40-year revolution in whale research with first-hand stories and insights into the lives of these highly social, intelligent mammals and the drive to save their habitat. Other books include the award-winning Creatures of the Deep (2014) and Weird Sea Creatures (2013) — both of which explored the frontiers of the deep sea with state of the art photography and tales of bizarre new species.
Erich is currently Research Fellow with WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the UK. For the past 20 years, he has jointly directed the first killer whale (orca) study in eastern Russia (in Kamchatka), an international collaboration with Russian scientists. The project won the prestigious Klüh Prize for Innovation in Science ($10,000 prize) from Germany. Erich is also a member of the International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas and co-chair of the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Area Task Force.
Erich has authored numerous conservation and scientific papers and reports as a consultant and advisor for international conservation groups and governments and is considered an authority on whales and dolphins, marine-protected areas and marine conservation, whale watching and ecotourism. He has given talks in Japan, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Iceland, Mexico, Chile, Canada, U.S., Germany and the Caribbean. He has also taught as a visiting lecturer at the Ohio State University, the University of Edinburgh, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Erich’s magazine and newspaper credits include: National Geographic, Natural History, Geographical, New Scientist, Canadian Geographic, The Sunday Times (London), The Guardian, The New York Times, Hakai, Defenders, International Wildlife. Twice a James Thurber Writer-in-Residence, and a Vannevar Bush Fellow at MIT and Harvard in 1985-86, he has 15 magazine and book awards including the Outstanding Book of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists & Authors, Inc., in New York (2002) and the Choice selection as one of its Outstanding Academic Books (2012).
Three of his adult nonfiction books, The Earth Dwellers, Insect Lives and Orca: The Whale Called Killer, have been optioned for films. His books for children (age 10+) include Weird Sea Creatures, Whale Rescue, Meeting the Whales and Riding with the Dolphins (all published by Firefly Books) and Extinction A-Z. His books have been published in 15 languages in 25 countries.
A dual Canadian-American citizen, Erich lives in Dorset, England, with his wife and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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October 6, 2021I really don’t think any review of STRANGE SEA CREATURES is going to do this book justice unless you view the book yourself. I can talk about the incredible photography and the information within the pages of this coffee table classic, but those are just words. What is contained inside the book are photos unlike any you will ever see again in your lifetime.
Many of us marvel at books that showcase the galaxy and that look into the solar system. That works for the world above us, but what is seen in STRANGE SEA CREATURES tells us about what lies beneath the surface of the waters around us. Erich Hoyt was written many books that focus on sea life whether whales, dolphins or marine conservation. Looking below the rippling waters shows us a world beyond what the imagination could ever perceive.
There are three sections to the book: The Blackwater Vertical Migrators, Masters of the Language of Light, and the Bottom Dwellers. Each section showcases the creatures in these areas. In the book’s introduction the author says “Most of the animals in this book could fit easily in your open hand. Many are less than an inch long.; some are so small you need a microscope to see them.” The photographers have done an exceptional job of bringing these sea creatures to life with an array of species that dazzle the sense and inspire great awe.
You will view the Crystal Jellyfish, Common Fangtooth, Sea Butterfly, Sea Apple, Feather Duster Worm, Porcupine Crab, Squat Lobster, Cock-eyed Squid, Pink Helmet, Deepsea Batfish, Spookfish (or Barreleyes), and much more. With a detailed description of each, the book will dazzle and amaze young and old alike. You could spend hours with this book, and still want to come back many times for more looks at sea life in its most inspiring state.
Many of us marvel at books that showcase the galaxy and that look into the solar system. That works for the world above us, but what is seen in STRANGE SEA CREATURES tells us about what lies beneath the surface of the waters around us. Erich Hoyt was written many books that focus on sea life whether whales, dolphins or marine conservation. Looking below the rippling waters shows us a world beyond what the imagination could ever perceive.
There are three sections to the book: The Blackwater Vertical Migrators, Masters of the Language of Light, and the Bottom Dwellers. Each section showcases the creatures in these areas. In the book’s introduction the author says “Most of the animals in this book could fit easily in your open hand. Many are less than an inch long.; some are so small you need a microscope to see them.” The photographers have done an exceptional job of bringing these sea creatures to life with an array of species that dazzle the sense and inspire great awe.
You will view the Crystal Jellyfish, Common Fangtooth, Sea Butterfly, Sea Apple, Feather Duster Worm, Porcupine Crab, Squat Lobster, Cock-eyed Squid, Pink Helmet, Deepsea Batfish, Spookfish (or Barreleyes), and much more. With a detailed description of each, the book will dazzle and amaze young and old alike. You could spend hours with this book, and still want to come back many times for more looks at sea life in its most inspiring state.
July 5, 2022
What a visually stunning collection! The pictures were absolutely beautiful, and while the book was not crazy-text-heavy, it provided just enough information to keep it informative and interesting. This is a title you could easily read in one sitting (or maybe two smaller sittings) and I genuinely enjoyed reading it.
February 19, 2022
Organized by the depth at which these creatures are found, this book provides a hitherto unseen window into their world. With fantastic photography and just the right amount of text!
May 1, 2021
Fascinating insight into some of the weird and wonderful sea creatures in our oceans.
May 26, 2021
Beautiful table-top book with some lovely little critter introductions. Who doesn't love deep sea ocean life?
April 4, 2023
i love learning abt sea stuff hehe
January 6, 2024
Beautiful photos of sea animals that we don't usu. think of when we think predators and prey in the ocean. Lots of fish have really scary teeth! Deep sea fish and bioluminescent sea creatures.
May 27, 2024
Very interesting
July 18, 2024
Stunning book of sea photography, would have liked even more pages. Who needs sci-fi ?!
February 28, 2025
I'm truly a sucker for blackwater diving and photography, and I was surprised by how much insight and information was presented in this sort of coffee table book (Erich Hoyt is a great researcher though so I shouldn't be too shocked).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews