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Creatures of the Deep: In Search of the Sea's Monsters and the World They Live In
Praise for the first "More than a picture book ... Hoyt's elegant writing provides both the historical background for deep-sea exploration and an ecological perspective on life in the ocean's depths."
--American Scientist "A magnificent bestiary ... and a reminder of how little we actually know about the seas surrounding us."
--Popular Science Winner, Outstanding Nonfiction Book of the Year
--American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc., New York In this updated third edition of Creatures of the Deep , award-winning nature and science writer Erich Hoyt gives readers a glimpse of the amazing variety of creatures found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Weaving together details from the latest scientific research about sharks, giant squid, dragonfish, huge tube worms, clams and tiny microbes of the deep-sea vents, Hoyt embarks on a magical journey roaming across the abyssal plains and descending into deep-sea trenches more than 20,000 feet down. Hoyt unravels the complex predator-prey relationships, from "killer" copepods to battles between giant squid and sperm whales, presenting compelling portraits of animals that are superbly adapted denizens of a dark high-pressure world. There are life forms, independent of sunlight and photosynthesis, which flourish around the hot, sulfurous deep-sea vents in the magnificent rift valley of the mid-ocean ridge, the world's longest mountain range. Surviving in conditions that appear to be close to the very soup of primordial Earth, these microbes have become the basis for the latest research into Earth's origins. This book is fully illustrated with fantastic underwater imagery.
--American Scientist "A magnificent bestiary ... and a reminder of how little we actually know about the seas surrounding us."
--Popular Science Winner, Outstanding Nonfiction Book of the Year
--American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc., New York In this updated third edition of Creatures of the Deep , award-winning nature and science writer Erich Hoyt gives readers a glimpse of the amazing variety of creatures found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Weaving together details from the latest scientific research about sharks, giant squid, dragonfish, huge tube worms, clams and tiny microbes of the deep-sea vents, Hoyt embarks on a magical journey roaming across the abyssal plains and descending into deep-sea trenches more than 20,000 feet down. Hoyt unravels the complex predator-prey relationships, from "killer" copepods to battles between giant squid and sperm whales, presenting compelling portraits of animals that are superbly adapted denizens of a dark high-pressure world. There are life forms, independent of sunlight and photosynthesis, which flourish around the hot, sulfurous deep-sea vents in the magnificent rift valley of the mid-ocean ridge, the world's longest mountain range. Surviving in conditions that appear to be close to the very soup of primordial Earth, these microbes have become the basis for the latest research into Earth's origins. This book is fully illustrated with fantastic underwater imagery.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2001
22 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Erich Hoyt
38 books37 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 28, 2014
I remember being so excited over seeing the pictures in a magazine of the very strange fish that live in The Mesopelagic Zone which is 660 feet to 3,300 feet below the surface of the ocean. Such strange looking fish! So I immediately picked this book to read on Amazon Vine and was not disappointed. Creatures of the Deep by Erich Hoyt, Second Edition Updated and Expanded is a delight!
Are you interested in the strange and newly discovered? We are just becoming aware of these creatures in the deepest parts of the ocean and there is so much more to discover. In the past, what lived in the deep oceans was considered to be monsters. The author thinks that we need to appreciate and protect them as our friends.
Creatures of the Deep is filled with gorgeous color photos of the inhabitants of the oceans. The general public is not familiar with most of them. The sea is stacked with layers of different ecosystems. This book shows representatives of the creatures that live in each layer and what is characteristic of each layer. Some of the pictures are so spectacular that you can only stare at them in wonder.
A variety of questions are answered. To tickle your fancy, here is a list of a few:
1. Does the octopus or squid have a more complex brain?
2. What organ must the squid’s food pass through in order for it to eat?
3. Which should you fear the most? A sand tiger fish or a miniscule dionflagellate phytoplankton?
4. Why can you see creatures that travel through the middle black layer of the ocean?
The disappearance of the Malaysian Flight 370 has taught us that there is a lot of debris in the ocean, that there are five ocean gyres in our world. This frightening news makes us aware of how important it is to start cleaning up the ocean and protect all the creatures of the ocean.
I highly recommend this book to all who care about and are interested in ocean life.
I received this book as a pick from Amazon Vine but that in no influenced my thoughts or feeling in my review.
Are you interested in the strange and newly discovered? We are just becoming aware of these creatures in the deepest parts of the ocean and there is so much more to discover. In the past, what lived in the deep oceans was considered to be monsters. The author thinks that we need to appreciate and protect them as our friends.
Creatures of the Deep is filled with gorgeous color photos of the inhabitants of the oceans. The general public is not familiar with most of them. The sea is stacked with layers of different ecosystems. This book shows representatives of the creatures that live in each layer and what is characteristic of each layer. Some of the pictures are so spectacular that you can only stare at them in wonder.
A variety of questions are answered. To tickle your fancy, here is a list of a few:
1. Does the octopus or squid have a more complex brain?
2. What organ must the squid’s food pass through in order for it to eat?
3. Which should you fear the most? A sand tiger fish or a miniscule dionflagellate phytoplankton?
4. Why can you see creatures that travel through the middle black layer of the ocean?
The disappearance of the Malaysian Flight 370 has taught us that there is a lot of debris in the ocean, that there are five ocean gyres in our world. This frightening news makes us aware of how important it is to start cleaning up the ocean and protect all the creatures of the ocean.
I highly recommend this book to all who care about and are interested in ocean life.
I received this book as a pick from Amazon Vine but that in no influenced my thoughts or feeling in my review.
February 18, 2014
This is like a combination between a coffee-table book and a textbook. Gorgeous, informative, and well-written. I read it straight through for the information, but I know I'll revisit for the pictures. Loved it!
October 24, 2020
A coffee table book lives or dies by the quality and quantity of its photos, but that doesn't mean the author can neglect the text. Getting it right is more art than science, but thankfully author Eric Hoyt gets it right in "Creatures of the Deep."
The book takes us through the ocean, one layer at a time, examining everything from the lowliest microbe to the strangest, deep sea-dwelling creatures that inspire a kind of primal fear in the dark recesses of our collective species memory. But the title references "creatures" and not "monsters" and thus the emphasis is on wonder rather than terror, which is perhaps as it should be.
My favorite images were, ironically, not the ultra-glossy high res captures, but the grainy snapshots of animals which many times had never before actually been viewed alive and stalking their habitats. These glimpses stir something in the imagination which a perfect picture can't provide. It's like a blurry photo of Bigfoot kicking his way into a campsite in the Ozarks or a Chupacabra caught in media res chomping its way through a downed powerline. But unlike the Chupacabra or Big Foot, these creatures are real (sorry cryptozoologists). Highest recommendation, both for the photos and the text. And did you need me to tell you that this is a "with photos" book?
The book takes us through the ocean, one layer at a time, examining everything from the lowliest microbe to the strangest, deep sea-dwelling creatures that inspire a kind of primal fear in the dark recesses of our collective species memory. But the title references "creatures" and not "monsters" and thus the emphasis is on wonder rather than terror, which is perhaps as it should be.
My favorite images were, ironically, not the ultra-glossy high res captures, but the grainy snapshots of animals which many times had never before actually been viewed alive and stalking their habitats. These glimpses stir something in the imagination which a perfect picture can't provide. It's like a blurry photo of Bigfoot kicking his way into a campsite in the Ozarks or a Chupacabra caught in media res chomping its way through a downed powerline. But unlike the Chupacabra or Big Foot, these creatures are real (sorry cryptozoologists). Highest recommendation, both for the photos and the text. And did you need me to tell you that this is a "with photos" book?
August 13, 2022
Reading this book so closely after Animal Earth, which goes through each of the 'branches' of life on earth, was entirely coincidence but actually helpful. This book of course focuses only on creatures in the ocean, and mostly those very deep down, but information about phytoplankton, zooplankton, copepods, and more from the other book came in handy. This book however is definitely more text based than photography based. There are some pictures, including a handful of spreads, to break up the text, but mostly the chapters focus on the different types of life found at different levels of the ocean. It also details some major research journeys, such as James Cameron's Challenger expeditions, that made giant leaps in the science and known species of those in the ocean.
December 7, 2020
An incredible resource, very well written and engaging. It really helped me visualize each layer of the ocean and had a wealth of information that was totally new to me.
April 28, 2016
The author's clear, lucid, engaging prose meshes flawlessly with some stunning photography to convey the awesome and awful mystery that is the ocean planet on which we live. Hoyt covers a lot of ground in this book—from the history of marine biology and deep sea exploration to the geology of seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and "black smokers" to the revolution in biology caused by the discovery of an entirely new domain of life, the Archaea, in the inhospitable depths to the imperative need to conserve marine species, habitats, and ecologies. And I had no idea that jellyfish are the kudzu of the seas before I read this book...
January 21, 2016
I loved the photographs in this book. The deep sea is always a fascinating subject, and the more photographs we have of it, the cooler it gets. The text is well written, and fits the photographs, so this is a much more coherent book than many photo-oriented coffee-table style books I've read lately. If you just want pretty pictures this book has plenty, but it is worth actually reading, too. The preachy stuff in the last few chapters got a bit annoying, though the idea of jellyfish as the ocean equivalent of noxious weeds seemed interesting enough to read more on later.
July 23, 2018
Fantastic!
A truly fascinating account of the world ocean and it's wonders. Well written, captivating, and informative, this book is a great read for anyone with a love of all things aquatic.
A truly fascinating account of the world ocean and it's wonders. Well written, captivating, and informative, this book is a great read for anyone with a love of all things aquatic.
December 17, 2015
An excellent book with a lot of interesting information to raise awareness of deep sea, with nice and illustrative photos.
September 21, 2019
I loved this fascinating trip through the ocean's weirdest and scariest animals! The book is well organized, well written, and the pictures are brilliant.
January 14, 2024
An excellent book on the deep ocean. Hoyt describes many of the relationships of the organisms of the deeper waters, focusing on particular groups including the whales, sharks, squid and jellyfish. Excellent photos are provided of these little known organisms. The work of some of the explorers of the deep ocean is described in detail.
The author describes the layers of the sea:
- the Epipelagic zone to 200 m, having been explored by man for some time
- the Mesopelagic zone, 200 - 1000 m, first explored by Beebe and where bioluminesence becomes the major source of light
- the Bathypelagic zone, 1000 - 4000 m, centered on the abyssal hills
- the Abyssopelagic zone, 4000 - 6000 m, which contains the abyssal plain and the midocean ridges
- the Halal zone, 6000 - 11,033 m, which represents the deep sea trenches and was first penetrated by Auguste Picard in his bathyscape
While the Epipelagic surface waters represent less than five percent of the ocean volume, it is the area in which the larvae of the deep water animals feed.
The Bathypelagic zone is the target for the diving whales and elephant seals. Cuvier's beaked whale typically dives for over hours to almost 3000 m. Elephant seals also do two hour dives to a lesser 2400 m.
Blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates are two large components of the plankton, but the less visible nonophytoplankton such as the coccolithophores are also important. The plankton form the basis of the ocean's food pyramid. As any given level is consumed by the next, about ten percent of the energy is passed on.
The squid are a key link between the copepods, krill and plankton, and the fish that eat them. Some squid, such as the common short-finned squid, lead short lives as the young feed on the spring plankton blooms, grow to feed on small schooling fish such as herring, then move to the deep waters to mate and die.
Killer whales had been found to be of ten ecotypes which differ in their target food source and which interact minimally, and therefore possibly being separate species. In the north Pacific, ecotypes feed on fish, marine mammals and offshore are the shark eaters. In the Antarctic, three ecotypes feed on Antarctic toothfish, penguins and minke whales.
Hoyt describes the rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which starts in Iceland and continues south almost to Antarctica, as the longest mountain range in the world. He describes the history of increased understanding of the ridge to its recognition as a subduction zone confirming Wegener's theory of plate tectonics.
Discovery of the hydrothermal vents and their unique ecosystems lead to the understanding that they were based on chemosynthesis of methane and sulfur, and so were independent of the solar radiation that powers all other life on earth.
The author describes the layers of the sea:
- the Epipelagic zone to 200 m, having been explored by man for some time
- the Mesopelagic zone, 200 - 1000 m, first explored by Beebe and where bioluminesence becomes the major source of light
- the Bathypelagic zone, 1000 - 4000 m, centered on the abyssal hills
- the Abyssopelagic zone, 4000 - 6000 m, which contains the abyssal plain and the midocean ridges
- the Halal zone, 6000 - 11,033 m, which represents the deep sea trenches and was first penetrated by Auguste Picard in his bathyscape
While the Epipelagic surface waters represent less than five percent of the ocean volume, it is the area in which the larvae of the deep water animals feed.
The Bathypelagic zone is the target for the diving whales and elephant seals. Cuvier's beaked whale typically dives for over hours to almost 3000 m. Elephant seals also do two hour dives to a lesser 2400 m.
Blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates are two large components of the plankton, but the less visible nonophytoplankton such as the coccolithophores are also important. The plankton form the basis of the ocean's food pyramid. As any given level is consumed by the next, about ten percent of the energy is passed on.
The squid are a key link between the copepods, krill and plankton, and the fish that eat them. Some squid, such as the common short-finned squid, lead short lives as the young feed on the spring plankton blooms, grow to feed on small schooling fish such as herring, then move to the deep waters to mate and die.
Killer whales had been found to be of ten ecotypes which differ in their target food source and which interact minimally, and therefore possibly being separate species. In the north Pacific, ecotypes feed on fish, marine mammals and offshore are the shark eaters. In the Antarctic, three ecotypes feed on Antarctic toothfish, penguins and minke whales.
Hoyt describes the rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which starts in Iceland and continues south almost to Antarctica, as the longest mountain range in the world. He describes the history of increased understanding of the ridge to its recognition as a subduction zone confirming Wegener's theory of plate tectonics.
Discovery of the hydrothermal vents and their unique ecosystems lead to the understanding that they were based on chemosynthesis of methane and sulfur, and so were independent of the solar radiation that powers all other life on earth.
August 18, 2018
Falling somewhere between a textbook and a coffee table book, Creatures of the Deep provides some fantastic pictures (my favorites are the dragonfish) and brief overviews of the deep sea.
It's broken into three main sections: the first gives a brief description of each of the ocean zones and exploration through history; the second highlights some of the main flora and fauna found in the ocean; the third describes the geology of the ocean, especially oceanic trenches.
I really liked the pictures, but was a little disappointed that the book wasn't longer and more detailed. It felt like I was just getting into a chapter when it abruptly came to an end. I would have rated it higher if it leaned more toward textbook and less toward coffee tablebook, but would still recommend it.
It's broken into three main sections: the first gives a brief description of each of the ocean zones and exploration through history; the second highlights some of the main flora and fauna found in the ocean; the third describes the geology of the ocean, especially oceanic trenches.
I really liked the pictures, but was a little disappointed that the book wasn't longer and more detailed. It felt like I was just getting into a chapter when it abruptly came to an end. I would have rated it higher if it leaned more toward textbook and less toward coffee tablebook, but would still recommend it.
December 5, 2022
Shaving pictures and easy to get through explanations. This world is truly incredible and Erich Hoyt is doing a great job tagging you along with all his knowledge and experience.
January 5, 2023
A great read for all deep sea biology, and its history!
July 11, 2025
Loved this book, I absolutely recommend it!
January 20, 2015
I didn't realize this was a coffee-table book when I requested it but aside from the oversize issue it was actually well-written. Hoyt begins with a journey through each of the ocean's layers highlighting the significant features and fauna of each layer. The second section delineates the food web between the various kinds of plants and animals within the ocean. Then Hoyt concludes with the mysteries of the oceanic trenches and the queer variety of life within them. And although we have the ability to summon digital images of animals within seconds, there's still something to be said for examining and appreciating these creatures intimately through high resolution still images.
September 13, 2014
I almost checked the paranormal box, because some of the creatures in this book seem almost paranormal. :) When I was a little girl we went to Disneyland and a SoCal beach. My older boy cousins told me that sharks would eat me if I went in the water, so to this day I never have. I'm still fascinated by the creatures who live in the seas. I loved the amount of information coupled with the amazing photos in this book!
October 27, 2014
Initially, I became interested in Creatures Of The Deep: In Search Of The Sea’s Monsters And The World They Live In by Erich Hoyt because of the cover which contains one scary looking fish and seems to promise all kinds of information on fish.
Read the rest of my review here
Review goes live 11/3/14
Read the rest of my review here
Review goes live 11/3/14
October 9, 2015
This book isn't just about deep sea creatures, but also has essentially a study on ocean life period, and how it all interconnects.
This was a really interesting book. It can get dull in some places, and hard to follow. Also, be forewarned, if you are a total wuss like I am, there are a few passages that can be upsetting to the faint-of-heart.
The pictures alone are totally worth checking this out!
This was a really interesting book. It can get dull in some places, and hard to follow. Also, be forewarned, if you are a total wuss like I am, there are a few passages that can be upsetting to the faint-of-heart.
The pictures alone are totally worth checking this out!
September 26, 2014
Not particularly well-written.
April 19, 2017
Beautifl images and concise explanations.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews