What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean
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By Helen Scales
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5 reviews
No matter where we live, ‘we are all ocean people,’ Helen Scales observes in her bracing yet hopeful exploration of the future of the ocean. Beginning with its fascinating deep history, Scales links past to present to show how prehistoric ocean ecology holds lessons for the ocean of today.
In elegant, evocative prose, she takes us into the realms of animals that epitomize current increasingly challenging conditions, from emperor penguins to sharks and orcas. Yet despite these threats, many hopeful signs remain, in the form of highly protected reserves, the regeneration of seagrass meadows and giant kelp forests and efforts to protect coral reefs.
Offering innovative ideas for protecting coastlines and cleaning the toxic seas, Scales insists we need more ethical and sustainable fisheries and must prevent the other existential threat of deep-sea mining. Inspiring us all to maintain a sense of awe and wonder at the majesty beneath the waves, she urges us to fight for the better future that still exists for the ocean.
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Helen Scales has written a very intelligent, informative and emotive book. It is in turn despairing and hopeful but is a fascinating look at the world’s oceans, past, present and future and the creatures that lived and live in them and depend on their health for their very survival. Tending towards the academic rather than the popular it nevertheless has something everyone can relate to, it’s packed with facts and everyone can take something away from this book. Who knew monkfish is shark? It is a read that will stay with you and make you think. An important book. Recommended.
What the Wild Sea Can Be is a very interesting book, especially for those of us who already have an interest in environmental issues. I especially liked learning more about sea creatures such as the orcas and the sea otters. However, it was upsetting to learn about the likely future of emperor Penguins! I spent a lot of time reading the book feeling helpless and would have loved more information about what I could do as an individual to improve the current situation of the oceans.
This is an excellent non fiction book, weaving academic and scientific research with an accessible narrative of the past, present, and future of our precious oceans and seas.
As someone who has had a keen interest in environmental issues for the whole of my adult life, it was interesting to learn more of PCBs and bleached corals, for example, at the same time as effective initiatives to restore our seas.
At no time did I feel that I was being preached to, rather having evidence presented to me and being allowed to make up my own mind.
If I have one criticism of this excellent book, it is that I found the font size rather small and difficult to read.
I have already recommended this book to others.
I read this book as part of Gloucester Book Club's shadowing the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2025. I have read and enjoyed many books from their fiction lists, but I'm not a habitual reader of non-fiction; however they curate their lists carefully so I knew it would be worth reading. It is well-researched, well-written, accesible, and authoritative. There is a lot of information to take in but it is well worth reading, I learnt so much about the state of the oceans, the effects of human activity, climate change results, species loss, heroic efforts by individuals, exploitation by mass fishing industries. At times despairing, other times hopeful, it changed the way I think about ocean life. I am very glad to have read this book.
What the Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales, shortlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, is a compelling and lyrical exploration of our oceans' past, present, and future. Scales blends scientific insight with vivid storytelling, urging readers to reconsider humanity’s relationship with the sea. While some may find its hopeful tone overly optimistic, it’s a refreshing and inspiring call to action for marine conservation. A must-read for nature enthusiasts and eco-conscious readers.
