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The Blue Edge
The author returns to the bountiful Sea of Cortez he knew decades ago, and finds it empty.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2000
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 13, 2021
From Amazon:
"Carlos Eyles became deeply connected to the ocean world as a child growing up in Hawaii. His life, first as a free diving big game spearfisherman and now as an underwater photographer, has covered much of the planet's oceans and seas - a lifetime journey, which has paralleled the decline of the ocean's great wealth. He has written eight books and countless articles about his experiences. He recently returned to Hawaii to live and teach free diving."
This book gives a fascinating insight into freediving. When I started to scuba dive, I was amazed at the level of noise I produced with my breathing gear. I always felt very distracted by the ruckus I caused with all the gear I was hauling along. I wanted to be part of this amazing underwater world, without scaring the crap out of the animal life. This book reminded me of that.
The book was fun, although I skipped a few paragraphs, when he waffled on at length about the mystical experience of immersing oneself into this world and becoming part of it... I know, I'm a hypocrite... ;)
"Carlos Eyles became deeply connected to the ocean world as a child growing up in Hawaii. His life, first as a free diving big game spearfisherman and now as an underwater photographer, has covered much of the planet's oceans and seas - a lifetime journey, which has paralleled the decline of the ocean's great wealth. He has written eight books and countless articles about his experiences. He recently returned to Hawaii to live and teach free diving."
This book gives a fascinating insight into freediving. When I started to scuba dive, I was amazed at the level of noise I produced with my breathing gear. I always felt very distracted by the ruckus I caused with all the gear I was hauling along. I wanted to be part of this amazing underwater world, without scaring the crap out of the animal life. This book reminded me of that.
The book was fun, although I skipped a few paragraphs, when he waffled on at length about the mystical experience of immersing oneself into this world and becoming part of it... I know, I'm a hypocrite... ;)
January 16, 2016
Carlos Eyles gives the reader a chance to feel spiritually connected to the ocean without having to leave the comfort of your home. As a freediver-in-training, I found the book extremely inspirational. The way Carlos talks about the beauty, rhythm, and life in the ocean is absolutely stunning. He touches on human interaction with these animals, however he does not exploit them himself. Although I cannot support eating fish, he hunts only for what he needs in order to survive. The issues he touches on are horrific people coming to these beautiful places and catching more than they need for no reason, all while destroying the environment that the species lived in. I was extremely emotional as I read about the rays that would wait for him to ride and interact with them, and then he had to watch fisherman take their wings and dump them- still alive and in incredible pain. I am envious of his connection with the ocean and its inhabitants, and enjoyed every minute of being able to see this depleting life form through his eyes before I get the chance to experience it on my own!
November 30, 2009
Just as exhilirating as the previous book i read by him. from riding on manta rays, swimming with a school of hammerhead sharks and side effects of eating poisonous fish, this book had it all. an in-depth (pun intended) book on the magic and wonders of our oceans. the afterword was a shocking realization of the effects of man on the ocean, and brought tears to my eyes.
September 22, 2024
This is the second Carlos Eyles book I have read the first being "The last of the blue water hunters" where he recalls his journeys of his younger years and his adventures with the pioneers of this sport among them being the late Jay Riffe.
The story first opens up with the mentioning of the 1994 Manta Ray slaughter and calls for conservationism, Eyles being a devoted Speros recognizes this along with the decline in Abalone and Black Sea bass. Along with a contraction of ciguatera and a near death experience while lobster diving in a cave we get to the riskier sides of freediving. I myself lost a instructor this year in north palm beach Florida to this hobby. This was the first person I knew personally to die from Aquanautics and being a seasoned scuba diver, I have never known anyone to die from breathing air at depth as opposed to Breath hold diving. I saw eye to eye the risks associated with this sport after reading this book.
There are educational aspects in this book as to the reasons why great white sharks attack people, how frequent freediving affects barotrauma and the need to be aware for those potential injuries. There is some cynicism in this book regarding commercialism and the effects it had specifically in the city of Cabo San Lucas which I for the first time visited a year ago, I loved it. Carlos strikes me as a man who is not interested in money and would like to devote his life to the ocean even at the cost of having a functioning family and prosperous career. A trait I know among many freedivers.
The book is a simple read for 350 or so pages, you can read it within a week. I feel this book is a continuation of "The last of the blue water hunters" where he talks about strategies and methods he uses to spearfish, which I feel is the most sustainable and efficient way of fishing. I will never go back to rod or reel again otherwise known as angling. In this book is a sample portfolio of his photography which I do feel contained some respectable shots, certainly better than what I or the reader of this review can more than likely accomplish.
My reason for my rating is because I feel that there is a moderate ego with Eyles and it might not be healthy, also he has a distaste for capitalism and is not interested in the work force only going back when he absolutely needs to. This was a good book, but I won't read anymore of his works. I feel he has informed me enough. You can give this book a read when you're on a long flight.
The story first opens up with the mentioning of the 1994 Manta Ray slaughter and calls for conservationism, Eyles being a devoted Speros recognizes this along with the decline in Abalone and Black Sea bass. Along with a contraction of ciguatera and a near death experience while lobster diving in a cave we get to the riskier sides of freediving. I myself lost a instructor this year in north palm beach Florida to this hobby. This was the first person I knew personally to die from Aquanautics and being a seasoned scuba diver, I have never known anyone to die from breathing air at depth as opposed to Breath hold diving. I saw eye to eye the risks associated with this sport after reading this book.
There are educational aspects in this book as to the reasons why great white sharks attack people, how frequent freediving affects barotrauma and the need to be aware for those potential injuries. There is some cynicism in this book regarding commercialism and the effects it had specifically in the city of Cabo San Lucas which I for the first time visited a year ago, I loved it. Carlos strikes me as a man who is not interested in money and would like to devote his life to the ocean even at the cost of having a functioning family and prosperous career. A trait I know among many freedivers.
The book is a simple read for 350 or so pages, you can read it within a week. I feel this book is a continuation of "The last of the blue water hunters" where he talks about strategies and methods he uses to spearfish, which I feel is the most sustainable and efficient way of fishing. I will never go back to rod or reel again otherwise known as angling. In this book is a sample portfolio of his photography which I do feel contained some respectable shots, certainly better than what I or the reader of this review can more than likely accomplish.
My reason for my rating is because I feel that there is a moderate ego with Eyles and it might not be healthy, also he has a distaste for capitalism and is not interested in the work force only going back when he absolutely needs to. This was a good book, but I won't read anymore of his works. I feel he has informed me enough. You can give this book a read when you're on a long flight.
April 8, 2021
What a beautiful description of hunting underwater his description are so true to life. He is able to describe feelings and emotions I could never put words to.
February 3, 2008
This book made me angry. The author decries the depletion of our oceans, yet glorifies his life of exploiting it. In all fairness, I closed the book on page 109 and refuse to read it. Perhaps it takes another turn on page 110 ...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews