A journalist’s obsession brings her to a remote island off the California coast, home to the world’s most mysterious and fearsome predators–and the strange band of surfer-scientists who follow themSusan Casey was in her living room when she first saw the great white sharks of the Farallon Islands, their dark fins swirling around a small motorboat in a documentary. These sharks were the alphas … were the alphas among alphas, some longer than twenty feet, and there were too many to count; even more incredible, this congregation was taking place just twenty-seven miles off the coast of San Francisco.
In a matter of months, Casey was being hoisted out of the early-winter swells on a crane, up a cliff face to the barren surface of Southeast Farallon Island-dubbed by sailors in the 1850s the “devil’s teeth.” There she joined Scot Anderson and Peter Pyle, the two biologists who bunk down during shark season each fall in the island’s one habitable building, a haunted, 135-year-old house spackled with lichen and gull guano. Two days later, she got her first glimpse of the famous, terrifying jaws up close and she was instantly hooked; her fascination soon yielded to obsession-and an invitation to return for a full season. But as Casey readied herself for the eight-week stint, she had no way of preparing for what she would find among the dangerous, forgotten islands that have banished every campaign for civilization in the past two hundred years.
The Devil’s Teeth is a vivid dispatch from an otherworldly outpost, a story of crossing the boundary between society and an untamed place where humans are neither wanted nor needed.
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Fantastic view into the world of great white sharks and the people who study them. PS I’ll happily read anything Susan Casey writes.
The Farallon Islands—a rocky and barren chain of jutting, granite peaks—sit just 27 miles from the San Francisco coastline. A handful of biologists reside in this remote outpost to study the bird, pinniped, and shark populations. Every fall, great white sharks arrive to feed on the local seal population and Ms. Casey delves into the research undertaken in the surrounding waters. It’s a story of grit and terror, and a testament to how little we know about these fascinating and monstrous creatures. Casey also recounts the history of the island—at one point, the eggs sold in the Bay area markets were collected from the massive seabird population, nearly depleting their numbers. The main attraction, of course, is the sharks, with personalities as varied as the people who investigate them. By the end of the book, despite a lingering fear of the giant fish, I couldn’t help but gain a healthy respect for the apex predators of the ocean. This is a riveting and enlightening read.
I really enjoyed this book and ended up going on my own Great White Shark dive at the Farallon islands, only to see a jellyfish after 8 hours on a boat and in and out of a cage 🙁 Oh well, it’s probably for the better.) This is just an exciting place to be with a lot of interesting history, especially the large sharks.
As a child, my father allowed me to watch “Jaws” on television. The experience scarred me for life… but not all scars are ugly: in fact, some tell of experience and are proof of healing. In my case, it set up a lifelong fascination with Great White sharks. I wanted to learn everything I could about them–so much so that I became the only kindergartner in my class who knew what a Carcharodon carcharias even was. That child lives on, and it was through those eyes that I read Susan Casey’s “The Devil’s Teeth.”
Susan has a way with words, most certainly. She’ll put you on the researcher’s boats. She’ll make you understand the weariness, and the slow steady drip of waiting. Then she’ll fill you with the excitement and sheer love these biologists feel for the sharks they study. This book is a must-read for anyone who has an interest in marine biology; this is boots-on-the-ground writing at its finest. Even casual “Shark Week” watchers will find a lot to like here. Ms. Casey’s keen eye misses nothing, and she tells all. I give this book my highest recommendation without any pause whatsoever.
Top ten books I’ve read this year. Wonderful.
Her excellent descriptions of place and personalities made this a very visual read. I enjoyed the way she paced the book, and the way she conveyed the pace on the island.
Loved this book! As a diver, it’s great to read a book about sharks that doesn’t demonize them and shows them for the magnificent creatures they are
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