Spring Tides: Exploring Marine Life of the Isle of Man

by Fiona Gell

'This is my earliest memory. I am three years old and I sit in the bottom of my great-uncle's pot boat and take off the bands from the lobsters' claws. The deepest of blues, they creak over the bilges with robotic limbs towards my father's bare feet as he rows. Over the scent of the herring bait I can smell the fresh, sweet smell of wrack on the shore. This book has come out of over twenty years of studying the sea and trying to protect it, and a lifetime of loving our other world beneath waves. The sea is my work and my passion. I have been its advocate in situations where I must be reasoned, considered and evidence-based. But, I am also seduced and obsessed by the infinite diversity of the sea, its breath-stopping beauty and capacity for surprise. I have stood frozen in primitive fear as a basking shark, its granite skin dappled by sunlight, looms under the boat for long seconds. I have dived on our cold water horse mussel reefs, where the queen scallops are encrusted in golden sponges and the crimson squat lobsters wave their claws in the current, laughing with delight into my regulator. I have breathed deep on the bow of a scallop dredger in the twilight before dawn as we make our way to the fishing grounds, the crew on the deck smoking in silence as the sun begins to rise out of the dark, silver sea.'

In Spring Tides, marine biologist Fiona Gell tells the story of a pioneering project to create the very first marine nature reserve on the Isle of Man. Growing up in a traditional fishing family on the island, Fiona spent her time on her grandfather's boat, listening to stories from the local fishermen and combing the beach for mermaid's purses and whelks' eggs. She developed a lifelong love of the sea and Manx culture, and on her return to the island after twelve years away studying marine life, she led a three-year-long struggle to protect an area called Ramsey Bay and the precious emerald green eelgrass forests which grew there. With scientific insight and spellbinding prose she perfectly captures the wonder of island life, from the intricate beauty of bright pink maerl, to the enormity of giant basking sharks spotted off the cliffs of the bay. This beautiful story from a small island reveals the transformative power of the sea, and the importance of protecting it for future generations.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 26, 2022

Reviews

[Chlo B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, interesting book which delves into the importance of being connected to nature. While reading this, I reminisced times when I myself would rockpool as a child on the island. It brought back many happy memories.

I found myself feeling guilty whilst reading this book, as I was hearing of fish and plants that I confess I could not imagine. I took to reading this with my phone nearby, and attempted to search the creatures described so I could fully appreciate what was going on. That being said, the signal on the island is questionable, and the lure of reading on the beach was greater than my need for instant imagery.

This book, thus, could be improved with a photographic guide to show horse mussel oysters, eelgrass, and dogfish. I know I would feel more connected having this visual stimulus.

[Erin Holroyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really lovely book about the marine life surround my favourite place in the world - the Isle of Man :) lovely writing very moving and inspirational

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some beautifully lyrical writing in this. You can sense the author's passion for the sea and the natural world, and for protecting it in the face of climate change. The book is a blend of nature writing and personal memoir, and the personal stuff gets heavy towards the end.

I see the subtitle in the cover image is different to the one on my copy, and probably more accurate.
"A story from a small island", definitely.
"Exploring marine life of the Isle of Man", yes but also.

[Titia Sjenitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about life and ocean conservation on the Isle of Man. Lovely book for the ocean loving geeks among us. The slow pace fits the island vibe and feeling of being by the sea. She describes in detail the marine life in the sea around the island as well as deathly washed up on the shores! Personally I also learned a lot from her walking us through the process she's gone through to establish the marine protected area. The mixed in stories of her family history and current life made it feel like she was just telling you her story over a drink in the local pub on a rainy island afternoon.

[Nikkib · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting book about the marine life on the Isle of Man, but also a part memoir of the authors journey from uni to present. I liked how in depth the author is in the biological aspects of the book but I wish it had also done the same in her personal thoughts too, although it does lean more heavily into this near the end. Overall an enjoyable read and although I felt the book jumped around a bit with narratives, It also gave me a new appreciation for the coastal ecosystems in and around the UK and ideas on marine biology career paths.

[Rakie Keig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful non-fiction about the marine life of the Isle of Man. Gives a great sense of the wonders along the coastline and under the water (often right on our doorsteps) that many of us don't even think about.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely consider the Isle of Man when thinking about nature but this beautiful book has opened my eyes. I learnt so much about this tiny British island. This book is wonderfully narrated by the author.

[Tejaswi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Steve Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - it provides a detailed personal account of the difficulties and challenges of developing marine conservation zones, interwoven with a very heart-warming intimate memoir. Beautifully written, with humour and knowledge, by a champion of conservation.