1.

Best Exploration Books

1. National Geographic A Diver’s Guide to the World: Remarkable Dive Travel Destinations Above and
Beneath the Surface (Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor, 2022)
This marine book aims to captivate the reader with the most beautiful and inspiring diving destinations in
the world. It tells dive stories, talks about marine life, recommends the best time of year to visit each
location, and provides expert advice on how to plan a dive trip, including how to choose a dive operator,
select the proper equipment and stay safe while diving. All are illustrated with impressive photographs from
National Geographic.

2. 100 Dives of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Underwater Destinations (Carrie Miller, 2019)
This ocean book features a collection of the most breathtaking and memorable dive sites around the world.
The dive book includes more than 350 images from National Geographic and descriptions of each dive
site. It adds marine life information and the best time of year to visit the place. Some sites featured in this
scuba diving book include the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Red Sea in Egypt, and the Galapagos
Islands in Ecuador.

3. Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites (2017)

Leading writers and award-winning photographers such as Jack Jackson and Lawson Wood were
responsible for this atlas. The dive atlas of the world is organized by region, with chapters covering dive
destinations in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Each chapter includes regional maps
and information on marine life.

4. Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die: Diving Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations (Chris
Santella, 2008)
It’s a list of the world’s greatest diving destinations, as chosen by diving experts. It includes a variety of
locations, from tropical reefs to shipwrecks to underwater caves, and provides information about each
destination, including the types of marine life that can be found there, the best time to visit, and any
necessary diving certifications or experience.
 2. Real Underwater Story Books
5. The Last Dive: A Father and Son’s Fatal Descent into the Ocean’s Depths (Bernie Chowdhury, 2000)
This is a non-fiction deep-diving book. It tells about the Chris and Chrissy Rouse tragic accident, which
happened in 1979 at the wreck of the Andrea Doria. They were well-prepared and experienced divers who
had made many successful dives at the wreck before. So, this SCUBA book is a poignant and tragic tale of
the dangers of diving and the importance of safety in this exciting but risky sport.

6. The same wreck from another point of view tells: Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the
Andrea Doria (Kevin F. McMurray, 2001)
The book on scuba diving explores the history of Andrea Doria and the events leading up to its sinking, as
well as the efforts of divers to explore and salvage the wreck. It also chronicles the dangerous and often
deadly conditions that divers have faced while exploring one of the most challenging and perilous diving
sites in the world.

7. Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World (Tim Ecott, 2001)

This is a great exponent of underwater exploration books. In it, Tim Ecott reviews the history of diving and
tells his own adventures, masterfully combining engaging dive stories with heart-pounding action. The
result is a diving book, informative as well as entertaining and exciting.

8. Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the
Last Mysteries of World War II (Robert Kurson, 2004)
The book tells the true dive story of two American recreational scuba divers, John Chatterton and Richie
Kohler, who discovered the wreckage of a German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey in the early 1990s.
The dive book is a thrilling tale of adventure and historical detective work, that has been praised for its
compelling narrative and engaging characters.

9. Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship (Robert Kurson,
2015)
The book tells the true diving story of two treasure hunters, John Chatterton and John Mattera. They
search for the legendary Captain Joseph Bannister’s long-lost pirate ship, which was rumored to be loaded
with treasure. As they get closer to their goal, they face dangers and setbacks, including legal battles,
personal conflicts, and the perils of diving in dangerous waters. “Pirate Hunters” is a thrilling underwater
story of adventure and determination, as well as a fascinating look at the world of treasure hunting and the
history of piracy.

10. Between the Devil and the Deep: One Man’s Battle to Beat the Bends (Mark Cowan, 2016)
Decompression sickness is the protagonist of this diving book. To introduce the disease, he tells the story
of British diver Martin Robson who suffered symptoms of Satan’s disease at 65 feet. He knew that if he
ascended, he would die. Instead, he went under again and was rescued. This deep diving book analyzes
the disease from different points of view, its history, and those of the divers who suffered from it and whose
sacrifice drives the search for solutions.

11. Guía práctica del buceador capullo (Luis Pérez Ruiz, 2017)

We have not been able to avoid the temptation to include this dive book written in Spanish and which is still
waiting for an English translation, although it well deserves it. It is a hilarious, atypical, extravagant diving
book with which we will learn to dive badly, with all kinds of true dive stories. To give you an idea, the title
of the diving manual in English would be: The Jackass Diver’s Practical Guide

12. Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver (Jill Heinerth, 2019)

Throughout this exploration book, Heinerth shares her journey as a cave diver, including the challenges
she faced and the lessons she learned. She also discusses the technical and scientific aspects of cave
diving, as well as the psychological and emotional challenges of exploring the underwater world in this
amazing cave diving book.
 3. Scuba Diving Books and Novels
Nick Sullivan is an actor passionate about diving and diving fiction, as much as he decided to write his saga.
His 6 scuba diving books “The Deep Series” are best sellers. Boone Fischer and Emily Durand are both the
main characters who work as Divemasters. These scuba books describe the suspenseful adventure that
combines elements of mystery, action, and romance.
13. Deep Shadow is set on Bonaire and Saba.
14. Deep Cut is set on Saba and Sint Eustatius
15. Deep Roots is set in Belize
16. Deep Devil is set on Cozumel
17. Deep Focus set on Grand and Little Cayman
18. Deep Hex set on Turks and Caicos

AJ Bailey Adventure Series is a scuba diving book collection written by Nicholas Harvey and whose main
character is AJ Bailey. She is a reluctant heroine who runs a dive boat and becomes embroiled in exciting and
suspenseful adventures set in the beautiful Cayman Islands.
19. Cavern of the Lost Souls (Prequel Novella – 2019)
20. Twelve Mile Bank (2017)
21. Gardens of the Queen (2019),
22. Wreck of the Raptor (2019),
23. Ghost Mountain (2020),
24. Solomon’s Well (2020),
25. Queen of the Island Skies (2020),
26. Valley of the Rays (2020),
27. Neptune’s Wall (2020),
28. Spanish Bay Reef (2021)
29. Bloody Bay Rum Club (2021)
30. Half Moon Bay (2021)
31. Wrecks of Key Largo (2022)
32. Anchor Point (2023)

The Fin Fleming Scuba Diving Series by Sharon Ward.

Fin Fleming is a courageous yet vulnerable underwater photographer living in the Cayman Islands who gets
caught up in incredible adventures. Murderers, sunken treasures, missing friends, and many mysteries. In
addition, the author writes with an exquisite concern for realistic details in the description of diving techniques.
33. In Deep (2021)
34. Sunken Death (2021)
35. Dark Tide (2022)
36. Killer Storm (2022)
37. Hidden Depths (2023)
 4. Books On Scuba Diving Techniques and Diving Manuals
The “Diving Compendium” consists of 4 books written by Simon Pridmore, an experienced diver and diving
instructor. Each one was written thinking of the readers’ needs at a particular point in their scuba diving life

38. Scuba Fundamental – Start Diving the Right Way (2016) This is a diving course that teaches the basic
skills and knowledge needed to safely start diving.

39. Scuba Confidential: An Insider’s Guide to Becoming a Better Diver (2013) The diving book is
designed to help readers to improve their skills and knowledge, and become more confident and capable
divers.

40. Scuba Exceptional: Become the Best Diver You Can Be (2018) This book on SCUBA diving follows the
same didactic philosophy as the other two but with more technical and complex topics.

41. Scuba Professional: Insights Into Sport Diver Training and Operations (2015) Although divers with
Divemaster certifications and above are the target of this diving book, any diver can take advantage of the
topics covered in it: such as real risk awareness, diving teaching, and how dive operations are conducted
in the industry.

42. Deco for Divers: A Diver’s Guide to Decompression Theory and Physiology (Max Powel, 2014)
This is a deep dive book that provides a comprehensive overview of decompression theory and the
physiological effects of diving. The underwater book covers a range of topics related to decompression,
including the physics of pressure and gas behavior, the effects of diving on the body, and the use of
decompression tables and dive computers to plan and execute safe dives.

43. The Complete Diver: The History, Science and Practice of Scuba Diving (Alex Brylske, 2012)
This scuba diving book is a comprehensive guide a wide range of topics, including the history of SCUBA,
the physics and physiology of diving, the equipment used in Scuba diving, and the various types of diving
activities and environments.

44. Diver Down: Real-World SCUBA Accidents and How to Avoid Them (Michael R. Ange, 2005)
This is a dive book that discusses the potential dangers and risks involved in SCUBA, and provides advice
and information on how to avoid accidents and emergencies while diving. Some of the topics covered in
this book include dive planning, emergency procedures, dive equipment maintenance, and dealing with
common diving emergencies such as decompression sickness, air embolisms, and equipment
malfunctions. The book might also include real-life case studies of diving accidents and the lessons that
can be learned from them.

45. Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and what the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves (James Nestor,
2014)
This scuba dive book tells the diving story of Nestor’s journey to understand the science and psychology
behind freediving. It is an engaging and informative read, offering a unique perspective on the ocean and
the human relationship with it. It is suitable for readers who are interested in freediving, marine biology, and
the science of the human body.