Scuba Geek

Deep dive into a life exploring the sea January 30, 2006

Posted by Andy Carroll in : Uncategorized , trackback

Thomas Urquhart reviews the memoirs and essays of Stan Waterman in his new book, Sea Salt: Memories and essays. “Sea Salt” is a memoir plus collected magazine pieces that reflect on Waterman’s 50 years of diving. While recognizably Benchley’s man, the character that emerges is endearingly tempered by shy self-mockery and an inextinguishable delight in the submarine world.

Peter Benchley of “Jaws” fame introduces Stan Waterman as “one of the most extraordinary gentlemen of this or any recent age.”

He is, writes Benchley, “a filmmaker, an adventurer, an explorer, a daredevil, a gallant, a poet, and - this above all - a true pioneer in the discovery of our last frontier, the sea.”

Sea Salt follows the life of Stan and hes love of the sea and scuba diving, through the destruction of his home on the coast of Maine by fire in 1994, through his discoveries of treasures and artifacts from beneath the sea and travels around the world, to his encounters on the Aegean Sea, the Amazon, Polynesia, the Solomon Islands, Aldabra, Cocos Keeling and the Turks. That’s just the first half of his memoirs. The second half is a collection of his writings primarily drawn from his contribution to “Ocean Realm” magazine in the 1990s where he encountered whale sharks in Australia, sea creatures in the Caribbean, and stories from his various expeditions around the globe. Part travelogue, part autobiography, Sea Salt: memories And Essays is especially welcome reading for the armchair traveler during those long cold winter nights at home.

This looks like a fabulous read and is now on my wish list.

Thomas says’

“A magic, alien presence imbued the old, sad wreck with dancing light and the sense of fairies, elves, extraterrestrial beings invading an old castle for a witches night of revel, Walpurgisnacht, Shakespeare’s Titania and her fairy maidens, Coleridge’s ‘Kublai Khan,’ or perhaps a sailor’s vision of Fiddler’s Green. A metaphor to describe the scene may stretch your imagination to its farthest reach.”

“Sea Salt” has its flaws - repetitive anecdotes could have been edited more firmly.

But my greatest disappointment is its reluctance to convert the wisdom born of extraordinary experience into a more powerful statement about our relationship with the deep and its creatures for the future.

It’s an unfortunate omission, but it doesn’t diminish the wonder of Waterman’s encounters with animals ranging from enormous manta rays to tiny, brilliant shrimp. We should be grateful that he is sharing them so enjoyably.