Customer Reviews

6 reviews

• Jack Magnus

  Curious Facts From the Deep is a nonfiction underwater photography book written and with photographs by Alexander and Natalya Kitain. The authors were enchanted by the world they discovered beneath the waves and have made diving and undersea photography their passion. They have traveled across the globe in search of their subjects and have visited historic wrecks. In their adventures, they’ve come across an amazing display of diverse and sentient beings. They note that “while the oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface, only about 5% have been explored.” This book is designed to share the creatures they’ve encountered and their habitats with the rest of the world. Alexander and Natalya Kitain’s Curious Facts From the Deep introduces the reader to the undersea world and its amazing inhabitants. Their photography is stunning. Each image is focused and perfectly lit to enhance the coloration and markings of each creature. The descriptions given are informative and written in a conversational style that makes learning enjoyable. The authors’ shared love of the oceans and the sea creatures they’ve photographed and studied is obvious on every single page. I especially loved learning about sharks and their behavior with divers and octopi, which are, as the authors note, quite unlike any other creature on the planet. As an open-water swimmer, I was drawn to this book and found it to exceed my expectations by a long way. There’s so much to learn from these authors. The photographs, well, they speak for themselves. Curious Facts From the Deep will have most readers seriously considering learning to dive - and that’s a good thing. It’s the most highly recommended.

• Sarah Stuart

  Curious Facts From the Deep opens with a photograph of Alexander and Natalyn Kitain with their two daughters besides a brief account of the family – ordinary immigrants seeking the American dream. Learning to dive changed their lives, and their exploration of seas and their incredible underwater photography brings it to vibrant, astounding life. Everything you might imagine, and much you didn’t know existed, is featured – marine animals, flowers, corals – and not forgetting sharks! Every photograph, or group of photographs, has its own “curious facts” that repay hours of study with a true sense of wonder. Alexander and Natalyn Kitain surprised me first with “70% of Earth is covered with water but only 5% has been explored”. The investigation must be done with care; too much sea-life is already under threat, and the rule is “do not touch”. Curious Facts From the Deep is not only a fascinating presentation of unknown delights; it’s a plea for conservation. “Stunning” is the right word for the illustrations. Nothing living in deep water is shy! The colors are bright, and there are creatures that produce fabulous flowers for “camouflage”. I found myself going back time after time to study more – I have yet to recover from the fish who can’t swim! Curious Facts From the Deep by Alexander and Natalyn Kitain is a must-have coffee-table book, but be sure fascinated guests buy their own copy.

• Peggy Jo Wipf

  Curious Facts From the Deep by Alexander and Natalya Kitain is a relatively short book, but has several objectives within, beginning with the beautiful creatures that live in the deep oceans that most people would never see or know about without divers recording their adventures. The authors show you small creatures with unique features that make them deadly, with camouflage, or changeable genders. They include bigger predators, like sharks, and clarify myths people have about their eating habits that cause fear when entering deep water. We overlook the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem as we require more than fish do from the oceans. Their livelihood is essential to ours, and the authors’ passion is to show the world that it isn’t only beautiful but crucial. I found Curious Facts From the Deep beautifully illustrated with photos from around the world. Alexander and Natalya Kitain give details about the photos, making this ideal for children to learn about marine life. Different types of the same species from different parts of the oceans show how they change to fit their environment. I had many favorites, but I loved the Leaf Sheep Nudie from Bali, Indonesia. At half the size of a long grain of rice, this sea slug is adorable. I read this as an eBook, but if I had younger children, I would invest in the hardcover book. This is the book you would read over again to children as you teach them about marine life and to dream about the beauty they can find in our world and in the sea.

• Miriam Amar

  CURIOUS FACTS FROM THE DEEP ALEXANDER AND NATALYA KITSN The journey and mystery that is taken on by the couple's passion to explore the mysterious life of the deep ocean. This book has given me a perspective view of how nature and life looks like under the vast deep blue ocean, as well as how life interacts with each other in ways I would have not imagined. As you go through page by page you will discover the many and vast diversity of species that exist within the ocean as well as the beauty of how each and every organism strive to live. I recommend this book to anyone who loves learning new things. This book is filled with many beautiful detailed photos taken under the water with loads of interesting information to learn from.

• Great book with unbelievable pictures

  Great combination of visuals and scientific facts mixed in this book. Very entertaining and inspiring to explore deep oceans! Look forward to seeing more from Alexander and Natalya as they venture into new places.

• This book is amazing

  This book is the best book ever for kids and adults! It has so many interesting facts that all kids would love. If I were to choose to buy a book from all of the underwater adventure books, it would no doubt be this one.

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