The Bathysphere Book

More about the book

A stunning account of William Beebe's 1930 Bathysphere expedition, the first deep-sea voyage to 3,024 feet below sea level. In the summer of 1930, marine biologist Gloria Hollister sat aboard a ship near Nonsuch Island, writing in a notebook with a telephone receiver connected to a steel cable that plunged into the ocean. Suspended from this cable was a four-and-a-half-foot steel ball, the bathysphere, where Beebe observed the undersea world through three-inch quartz windows. He excitedly described bizarre creatures and bioluminescent explosions to Hollister, who recorded every detail amidst the rocking waves. The narrative draws from the original expedition logbooks, offering the first eyewitness account of the deep ocean, infused with poetic language and scientific terminology, alongside the tension of Hollister and Beebe's illicit affair. Set against a backdrop of a transforming America, the expedition attracted diverse backers and included a team of eccentrics who mingled with notable figures like Theodore Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart. The bathysphere garnered significant media attention, making the team famous and providing groundbreaking images of the deep ocean, reminiscent of NASA’s blue marble photograph. The book features archival images and illustrations by expedition artists, celebrating the human drama of this pioneering journey into the unknown.