Sharks In British Seas
On our doorstep by Richard Peirce
Richard Peirce found it ironic that he had travelled all over the world to see sharks, when there are more than 30 species native to British waters. So he has written a book about them.
It's a romp through anecdotes about possible great white sightings, the history and what I read to be the virtual demise of Cornwall's shark-angling clubs as an agency for the destruction of sharks, the saga of the setting-up and decline of the basking-shark fisheries in Scotland, and the current trend towards shark eco-tourism.
Peirce goes on to describe the different species of shark found in home waters. This book could have been a little dry but he writes it all in a very personal way, much of it from first-hand experience.
The section on shark attacks is inevitable, but this is followed up with
an amusing chapter dealing with the feeding frenzy of the media, complete with press-cuttings.
Finally, there is a strange-but-true section, and an illustrated catalogue of 32 species that might be encountered off UK coasts.
It's a modest volume, but no page is wasted. It makes a fascinating read, especially for divers waiting for a break in the weather.
John Bantin
Shark Cornwall
ISBN 97800955869404
Softback, 140pp, ?9.99
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