Around the Ocean in 80 Fish & Other Sea Life

by Helen Scales, Marcel George (Illustrator)

This is an inspiring tour of the world's oceans and 80 of its most notable inhabitants. Beautifully illustrated, the book includes fascinating stories of the fish, shellfish and other sea life that have somehow impacted human life - whether in our medicine, culture or folklore - in often surprising and unexpected ways.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Animals, Biology, Ecology, Natural History

200 pages, Hardcover

Published June 27, 2023

About the author

In their review of my first book, Poseidon’s Steed, the Economist called me “The aptly named Helen Scales” and I guess they’re right. I do have a bit of a thing about fish (get it?).

Across the airways and in print, I’m noted for my distinctive and occasionally offbeat voice that combines a scuba diver’s devotion to exploring the oceans, a scientist’s geeky attention to detail, a conservationist’s angst about the state of the planet, and a storyteller’s obsession with words and ideas.

I have a Cambridge PhD and a monofin, I’ve drunk champagne with David Attenborough and talked seahorse sex on the Diane Rehm show. I spent four years (on and off) chasing after big fish in Borneo and another year cataloguing marine life surrounding 100 Andaman Sea islands.

These days I write books and articles, I make podcasts and radio, travel the world in search of stories, and do my best to spend as much time as I can in the sea as a scuba diver, free diver and rookie surfer. I’m a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the steering committee for the Museum of Curiosity. I’m also a proud aunt, I sew dresses, grow organic vegetables, put on high heels and dance Argentine tango, play piano, sing in the shower, and make a mess in a printmaking studio.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. I have 3 others of the same type about plants, trees, and birds. I'm very happy that this continued the tradition of giving an informative as well as gorgeous oversight over what our planet has to offer.

Dr. Helen Scales is a marine biologist who had about as tricky a time to select only 80 fish and other sea creatures for this book as I had in selecting only a handful (roughly) to show you guys. *lol* You see, our planet might be names "Earth" but it SHOULD be named "Water" (or something like that) for 7/10 of the surface of our planet is covered with water and over 90% of our planet's biosphere is water.

In 6 chapters, the book introduces us to extraordinary examples of life in the
- Atlantic Ocean
- Mediterranean
- Indian Ocean
- Pacific Ocean
- Caribbean
- Polar Seas

As in the other books of this type, we're getting 2 pages of information with nice illustrations to showcase the respective animal:
















Personally, I love how the author mentions and the illustrations show how the respective animal has made a historical / cultural impact on us humans (jewely, bath sponges, food, clothing etc.). Not all of it is positive, but we see the intricacies.
And I was delighted in learning about species I hadn't hitherto heard of (such as the Yeti crab). I always love learning new things so most science books talking about the same thing over and over is often a bit disappointing. WHile a lot in this book was indeed familiar, there were also some surprises, which delighted me.

This time, we're also getting a number of full-spread illustrations:





Moreover, at the end of the book, the author also offers a list of further material (online resources) as well as travel tipps (on where to see and explore what), info on diving, and how to protect ocean life.

All in all, a nicely rounded-off read with lots of info that is meant to and succeeds in wetting one's appetite to learn more about this greatest of wildernesses our world has to offer.

[RATA 🐀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.00 ★ — Read This. Also, fuck Florida.

[Diane Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! and series! I own all of their publications in multiple formats (hardcover, and Spanish versions). They feature a writer who is a specialist on the topic, for this one, it is Helen Scales. If you don't know who Helen Scales is, she is a British marine biologist and is also the author of The Brilliant Abyss (just got this one to educate me on the deep, especially relevant to the proposed deep sea mining, which will destroy many habitats for incredible life in the deep, like the Scaly- Foot Snail- which IS featured in this book), and Spirals in Time (life of a seashell) among many other neat publications on the sea. If you are a parent, she has also written books on the topic for much younger children. I feel that this book is written in layman's language, as in, some families have bought it and read one organism section out loud to their kids daily and it seems that they are totally able to understand and get the gist of the sea life featured. So it is written for a very wide audience. The Illustrations by Marcel George are beautiful, colorful, and plentiful! What Laurence King Publishers did really well with this series is that it is a vibrant and visually stunning series, as it should be whenever one is studying nature. Nature is beautiful, artistic, and amazing, and that visual aspect should not be left out when reading about the history, neat quirks, and interesting facts and cultural tidbits associated with each of these animals. From giant clams, to vampire squid, jellyfish, narwhals, and flexitarian sharks, its really a great choice of organisms that were featured.

My only complaint: Two more books on the sea please :) The deep, the shores, etc... The series has two books on plant life, and only one on the ocean so far. While I cannot get enough of these series, I do think that the ocean has comparably more to cover. So, if there are willing scientists and artists, I hope there are another 160 organisms to cover, with artwork! (not asking for much am I lolol)

Get it, you won't regret it, its a beautiful gift idea as well, already thinking about getting them as a set for some kiddos....

[Spiffybumble · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a really beautiful book! I just think that I spend too much time in Natural History Museums and surfing animal Wikipedia at 2am to be wowed by all the fairly surface level summaries of the species.

That being said, I still learned some new fish in this!
-Pom Pom Crabs
-Yeti Crabs
-Pacific Dragonfish

I’ll probably check out their bird or tree books at a later time when I want something to read in small bursts while commuting again.

[James Pappas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An educational and fun read about various and unique sea creatures. It goes from ocean to ocean and talks about that region's native inhabitants in a one or two page dossier. Some fun facts include the bonnethead shark being able to reproduce on its own, giving birth to a clone. Icefish in the polar regions produce antifreeze to avoiding becoming popsicles in the frigid water. And finally, lanternfish might well be the most abundant animal on the planet, with estimates of hundreds or even thousands of trillions of them!

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply one of the most delightful books I have ever read, with some of the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen. Honestly, I am low key scared of the deep ocean, well, a lot of the ocean, really, and this book helped me massively towards grappling with this fear. Primarily because it shines a light on how our sea friends are truly so much like us. Living beneath the waves are lovers, artists, protective parents, hard workers, performers, and so many more characters that contribute to an underwater world whose complexity and vibrancy is beyond our land-lubber dreams. Incredible book tbh please read oceans are important and don’t eat the homies

[Lisanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Such beautiful illustrations and discovered so many new favourite sea creatures - can’t give it anything other than five stars.

[Atticus Singleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing illustrations, nice and short pages giving key details about some of the coolest marine animals I never knew existed. 5/5 Schumungusses, if I could give it 6 schmungusses I would.

[Daphyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed this entire collection. The illustrations have been beautiful and the information is interesting and sometimes quirky enough to make me laugh and even blush. The authors vary so the writing styles change up.

Around the World in 80 Fish
Around the World in 80 Trees
Around the World in 80 Plants
Around the World in 80 Birds

[Marideth Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Gorgeous illustrations and informative text.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like these books as a series, but this one for me falls more along the lines of the plants one in that I found the subject material to be so broad, and some of the choices to skip around between so many species, I didn't find it as compelling.

If you are interested in the series, this is worth adding for the beautiful art and completing the series. If you are here for the subject matter, can I interest you in a truly great book by the same author called the The Brilliant Abyss?

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will probably finish this book over the next month but going to go ahead and mark as “read”. For me, this is the type of book you read a few pages at a time, when the baby is asleep on you or you can pick it up in the living room for a moment. I’ve learned a very cool fact from each dish so far. The writing is very clear and easy to understand, especially for non-scientific people such as myself. Highly recommend to any adult or teenager that loves animals, especially sea creatures!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Helen Scales writes brilliantly about ocean life, and combined with beautiful illustrations, this book showcases a selection of the world's sea creatures and informs the reader about their fascinating traits. As a marine biologist and ocean enthusiast, I would definitely recommend this book.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating snippets about a wide range of species and beautiful illustrations. Prepare to be utterly enraged by the impact of people and capitalist exploitation of the ocean and its inhabitants as a resource however.

[Brianna Steinman · Rating 5 out of 5]

*After devouring the library copy, I ordered my own copy for my science shelf at home. ☑️ It’s an absolutely beautifully done book: informative, quirky, illustrated whimsically and overall thoroughly interesting. Such a great read!

[Angela Gostling · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite authors on the subject of aquatic life and habitats. This is a super easy read and beautifully illustrated. It is informative and accessible, structured so that you can dip in & out. A joy.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much great info in little tidbits illustrated with fantastic watercolors by Narcel George. This artist makes Hagfish look almost attractive.

[Sabine Ibing · Rating 5 out of 5]

In einer Reise durch die Weltmeere stellt uns Helen Scales 80 ihrer bemerkenswertesten Bewohner vor, farbenprächtig illustriert durch Marcel George. Das erzählende Sachbuch nimmt sich jeweils einen Fisch, eine Muschel, Schnecke, Krebs vor, erklärt den Meeresbewohner und gibt interessante Geschichten dazu: Die Beziehung zu anderen Tieren, zum Menschen, Medizin, Kultur, Kurioses, Aberglaube usw. Ein kompakt gehaltener und unterhaltsamer meereskundlicher Einblick in die Welt der Meerestiere - ob Flossenträger, Weichkörper-Tier oder Küstenbewohner. Ein prima Sachbuch zum Schmökern.

90 Prozent der Biosphäre unserer Erde besteht aus Meer. Das Buch hat letztendlich keine Ordnung – eine kleine, die nach den Meeren unterteilt ist, beginnt mit dem Atlantik, weiter zum Mittelmeer, Pazifik Indischen Ozean, Karibisches Meer bis zum Polarmeer. Die Meeresbiologin schreibt zu ihrer Auswahl in der Einleitung des Buches: «… die meine Vorstellungen vom Leben im Meer verkörpern. Ich möchte Ihnen die seltsamen, verborgenen und betörenden Dinge zeigen … einige Lebensformen vorstellen, von denen Sie vielleicht noch nie gehört haben». Es gibt Bekanntes und Unbekanntes – auf jeden Fall viel Lesenswertes! Fische, Säuger, Quallen, Korallen, Weichtiere, Sonnenblumen-Seestern, Seepferdchen. Wir lernen eine Yetikrabbe oder ein Seeohr, eine Boxerkrabbe oder das gemeine Perlboot kennen. Oder einen Schiffshalter – können Tiere Schiffe ausbremsen oder ist das bloß ein Ammenmärchen? Was haben Pfeilschwanzkrebs, die Kegelschnecke oder der Zitterrochen mit der Medizin zu tun? Wer schwimmt lange Strecken und wer kann über 100 Jahre alt werden? Der Glaskopffisch schwenkt seine Augen wie ein Fernglas, und was es mit der durchsichtigen Kuppel über seinen Augen auf sich hat, kann man bis heute nur vermuten. Klimanwandel, Umweltzerstörung, Überfischung, Vermüllung bedroht unsere Meere, auch das kommt zu Sprache. Marcel Georg hat das Buch mit ausgesprochen ästhetischen Illustrationen begleitet, farbenfroh, naturgetreu bis witzig geben sie dem Sachbuch den letzten Schliff. Das Buch ist Allage – aber weil es einfach und unterhaltsam geschrieben ist, ist es sicher interessant für Kinder ab 12 Jahren, die sich für das Meer interessieren.


Helen Scales lernte im Alter von 16 Jahren im Rahmen des Duke of Edinburgh’s Award das Tauchen und wollte mehr über das Leben unter Wasser erfahren. Sie studierte am St. John’s College in Cambridge und erwarb einen Master of Science in Tropical Coastal Management an der Universität von Newcastle Upon Tyne. Scales promovierte 2005 am St. John’s College in Cambridge über die Ausbeutung von Korallenriff-Fischen für den Handel mit lebenden Rifffischen. Dabei ging es insbesondere um den Buckelkopf-Lippfisch. Nachdem sie die Fische unter Wasser gefilmt hatte, konnte sie einzelne Fische anhand der Farbmuster auf ihren Köpfen identifizieren und so ihre Bewegungen und ihr Verhalten studieren. Die Meeresbiologin hat diverse Bücher zum Meeresthema publiziert.

Marcel George wohnt in London. Der Illustrator hat sich auf Aquarellillustrationen spezialisiert und arbeitet u.a. für die Financial Times, Esquire und den Wellcome Trust.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say that this book about fish is the best book I've read all year? If anything, it was the book I've enjoyed the most. I learned about eels and cuttlefish and angelfish and barreleyes and greenland sharks and lemon sharks and bonnet sharks and narwhals and antartic krill....and the list goes on for 70 more sea creatures. I've always been a little bit frightened by the ocean (Life of Pi is my worst fear), but this book helped me appreciate the diverse ocean ecosystem in all its weird adaptive glory. How can you read about the cleaning wrasse and not feel a sense of kindship with our fishy friends? If I was a fish, I would also like to go to the cleaning wrasse spa 200 times per day. I wouldn't even be angry if they took a chomp out of my flesh. All this to say, I loved this book, I would read it 10 more times, and now I want to read the rest of the books in the series.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations and dividing chapters' pages were so good. Art.

I don't think this gives you a large picture of ocean inhabitants but just some of them. More than a few are real oddballs. Ones who live near deep sea hot vents or cold ice in the pole regions- those especially. So many, many shapes and sizes. Majority of the huge! Very huge!

Some facts I did learn, but most of the interest was in the drawings of the shapes. Like those feathery looking arms used to raise their own bacteria or other forms of food stuffs. Every time I read any ocean info onus material I am always reminded that nearly everything eats each other.

There were a few vastly over the top comparisons to cause/ effect- but I always overlook that stuff. It's been endemic since the late 1990's. And often unscientific. This is worth the illustrations alone.

[Albert Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been in a big marine life kick....and this book definitely fueled the fire, heh. I had searched through the index (I thought rather thoroughly) and was QUITE pleasantly surprised when I realized there was a section on nudibranchs--they're currently my favorite animal, marine or otherwise, and I've been perhaps rather obsessive over them. It is apparently hard to find books on sea slugs that aren't massive textbooks or are available inside in-person stores--so I was very happy.

Also, the illustrations of Marcel George, they are beautiful. Genuinely amazing. 10/10. Seeing them filled me with great joy.

[Wyrd Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gorgeous illustrated compendium of sea life around the world is a great addition to every library. I've learned about so many familiar, and unfamiliar, animals of the deep blue sea. For example, the Antarctic Icefish that naturally develop antifreeze to withstand the freezing waters of Antarctica! Or the Ninja Lanternshark, a bioluminescent shark that lives in the deep sea!

My one complaint is that Helen Scales doesn't include a bibliography at the end. I would have really liked to see her sources for so much of the incredible information included in her entries.

[Jacinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and have learnt so much! The author does an excellent job communicating information to those of us who are not scientifically inclined 🤭 The format of the book made it easy to read with its bite sized chunks of text; and the personalities of these creatures really shone through. At times I found myself actually laughing reading about some of their antics! And the illustrations– wow! Can't imagine how many hours of work the artist must have poured into this. The rich kaleidoscope of life living beneath the waves fills me with awe– God sure is creative.

[Arianna Capasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro super interessante e dai disegni (stile acquarello) davvero belli. Pattern di ogni capitolo simile: hey c'è questo animaletto tanto bello e unico, importante per l'ecosistema. Solo che a causa dell'attività dell'uomo è a rischio di estinzione! 💔
Una nota molto interessante e utile: alla fine ci sono alcune pagine dove spiegano come poter vedere la vita marina, quali sono gli enti sportivi con cui fare attività, le associazioni che proteggono la vita marina e dove informarsi per mangiare pesce in modo sostenibile

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book doesn’t quite reach the heights of two Jonathan Drori volumes in this series, in which the writing matches the imaginative detail of the art. In this book, the writing is fine (not near as good as Drori’s, but better than the Mike Unwin book), whereas the art is what truly stands out—at once evocative and detailed. It was fun to work through while on vacation. Here’s for a fifth volume in the series (on insects, perhaps?)!

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro muy bonito. Las ilustraciones son preciosas y bastante realistas. La información de cada especie(s) que se habla es muy interesante. Había muchas cosas que no sabía. Por otro lado, se hace referencia a la conservación de estas especies y leer cómo algunas especies maravillosas están a punto de extinguirse por culpa del ser humano, es bastante descorazonador.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, the art was good, (except for the animals in shells) and a learned a bit about a lot of animals. I wish there was more about animal behavior and less about why each animal was about to be endangered, it got a little repetitive, but I would happily read more about any of these animals.

[Patrick Aldrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I gave this book a read. Beautiful illustrations, a passionate author, and something new to learn every chapter. 10/10, highly recommend.

[Brandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and gorgeously illustrated!

[Harriet Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an incredible book which taught me so much about marine life i never knew existed.