Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher's Extraordinary World

From the creators of the Academy Award–winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, featuring an introduction by Jane Goodall

An immersive journey into the underwater world that holds transformative lessons for us all

Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck regularly dive together in the awe-inspiring kelp forests off South Africa, without wetsuits or oxygen tanks. Craig had dived this way for years, including alongside the octopus that inspired My Octopus Teacher. In Ross, he found a kindred spirit, someone who also embraced the ancient methods of acclimating his body to frigid waters, but whose eyes had not yet adjusted to the transcendent wonder Craig saw each time they dove.

In the heart-wrenching stories that make up this unforgettable book, we swim alongside Ross as he grows from sceptic to student of the underwater wild. And in the revelatory marine science behind the stunning photos, we learn how to track sea hares, cuttlefish and limpets, and we witness strange new behaviours never before documented in marine biology. We realise that a whole world of wonder, and an innate wildness within us all, emerges anew when we simply observe.

My Octopus Teacher has captivated millions who long to connect with the natural world. Now, with Underwater Wild, the divers behind the film reveal a new vision of the sea – one full of wonder, new insights into marine biology and life-changing teachings for even the most land-bound of us.

'An intimate guide to the wonders and mysteries of the ocean – this is a book created to be cherished, full of glorious photographs and text that illuminate a hidden world, inviting us to explore further and love more deeply' —Yo-Yo Ma, cellist and Sea Change Foundation Patron

'It is truly, truly magnificent. We need to make sure more books like this exist … every page is quite extraordinary' —Mike Wills

'I am absolutely astounded by Underwater Wild. I am reading it very, very slowly (and will immediately read it again). I think it is the most amazing book I have ever read (and that covers quite a selection!) What remarkable work. A truly beautiful book.' —Lesley Beake