Shark Bytes: Tales of Diving with the Bizarre and the Beautiful - Softcover

'John's memory for detail is impressive and he brings many a scene to life with subtle flashes of colour that many writers in this genre are not capable of summoning. There is a solid sense of environmental awareness and no tabloid demonising. John knows you have to be entertained to keep turning the pages and every page here is packed with amusement as well as insight. I'd recommend Shark Bytes to anyone with an interest in sharks and diving.' (Simon Rogerson, Scuba Magazine). 'A wonderful collection of first-hand encounters with sharks by diving veteran John Bantin, accompanied by his compelling imagery.' (Dive Magazine). 'Uncovers the magnificent reality of getting up close and personal to the bizarre and beautiful creatures of the ocean. These captivating and sometimes shocking encounters are accompanied by the author's own stunning underwater photography. This enlightening and inspiring collection of true stories gives you a taste of the magical diversity of the underwater environment, from all four corners of the world.' (BBC Wildlife Magazine website). 'John Bantin's easy-flowing and informative style is present ... adorned with lots of sumptuous photographs of sharks.' (Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch). 'If this isn't a Christmas gift to make divers' hearts beat faster, I don't know what is.' (Steve Weinman, Dive Magazine) 'If you've ever fancied diving with sharks but have never quite been able to pluck up the courage to do it, this could be the book for you. Diving expert John Bantin shares his experiences of dozens of dives with everything from hammerheads to dugongs, each illustrated with stunning close-up photography.' (BBC FOCUS Magazine); '... his tales are always witty and riveting, often surprising and sometimes endearing, like only a great storyteller can convey. Required reading!' (Fijisharkdivingblogspot) "an impressively beautiful book in which as a diving veteran he recounts many tales of his diving with several species of sharks and other marine animals over the last 4 decades. Accompanied by his own stunning photography, the captivating, spectacular and sometimes shocking encounters show the reader what it is like to get up close and personal to these bizarre and beautiful creatures. The sharks covered range from the great whale sharks to the small blacktip reef shark, in locations extending to all corners of the globe. "Shark Bytes" is an extraordinary and informative read from cover to cover, making it an especially recommended addition to both community and academic library Pets/Wildlife collections in general, and Shark oriented supplemental studies lists in particular." (Midwest Book Review, Nov 2017)

The popular image of sharks is of a dorsal fin cleaving the surface as it rushes to its next kill, but this is a limited caricature. There are over 500 species to choose from, most of whom are far more frightened of humans than vice versa. In this beautiful book, diving veteran John Bantin recounts many tales of his diving with several species of sharks and other marine animals over the last 4 decades. Accompanied by his own stunning photography, the captivating, spectacular and sometimes shocking encounters show the reader what it is like to get up close and personal to these bizarre and beautiful creatures. The sharks covered range from the great whale sharks to the small blacktip reef shark, in locations extending to all corners of the globe.