Austin Gallagher’s The Shark Watcher’s Manual is a practical, visually driven guide for divers, snorkellers and shark enthusiasts who want to understand where, how and why to encounter sharks in the wild. Rather than being only a field guide, it combines natural history, conservation, diving practice, photography advice, safety guidance, species identification and a global directory of shark-watching sites.

Reviewing a book by Ila France Porcher inevitably comes with a certain awkwardness. She has long been one of X-Ray Magazine’s most thoughtful and prolific contributors, particularly on shark behaviour and marine animal cognition. Complete neutrality may therefore be difficult to claim outright. Still, Yes, Fish Feel Pain raises questions that deserve engagement regardless of familiarity with the author.

Simon Pridmore returns with Technically Speaking: Talks on Technical Diving, Volume 2, a new anthology of his popular dive-themed essays and stories. As one of the most prolific contributors to X-Ray Mag, Pridmore brings together 28 pieces—many previously published, others entirely new—that reflect his global experiences and deep engagement with the diving community.

The documentary Deeper, directed by Jennifer Peedom, places celebrated cave diver and anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris at the centre of a daring expedition into New Zealand’s Pearse Resurgence cave system. The film follows a mission to test hydrogen-based breathing gas and push human exploration further underground. While the technical ambition impresses, the film may leave non-diving viewers wondering why such risks are deemed worthwhile.

In The Shipwreck Decoder, technical diver and shipwreck explorer Ashton East delivers a highly practical guide to interpreting the remains of sunken vessels. Designed for divers and maritime enthusiasts alike, this illustrated handbook offers a compact yet comprehensive overview of ship construction, propulsion systems, and on-board equipment—spanning ancient craft to Cold War-era wrecks.

Drawing on research across geology, palaeontology, marine biology and climate science, the book connects the long history of coral evolution and extinction with the urgent challenges of the Anthropocene—climate change, ocean acidification, sea-level rise and habitat degradation.

The book adopts an ecosystemic perspective, emphasising the necessity of considering entire marine systems rather than isolated components. It explores how various factors—including species richness, environmental variability, and system openness—modulate the impacts of human-induced pressures. By addressing the cumulative and synergistic effects of multiple stressors, the editors advocate for holistic approaches to marine conservation and management.

Harvell, a seasoned marine biologist, draws upon her extensive fieldwork to illuminate the lives of these often-overlooked creatures, from bioluminescent jellyfish to coral architects. 

Ocean by David Attenborough and Colin Butfield is a compelling exploration of the world’s oceans—our planet’s most vital yet vulnerable habitat. Blending personal experience, natural history and leading-edge science, the book charts a journey through eight unique marine environments and the extraordinary life they support. From coral reefs and kelp forests to deep-sea trenches, it uncovers how the ocean regulates climate, produces oxygen and sustains life on Earth.

Beneath the ocean’s surface lies a vast world teeming with extraordinary life, from shallow coastal waters to the deepest trenches. 

This book explores the stunning diversity of marine species, some so otherworldly they seem straight out of science fiction. It highlights biodiversity hotspots, from Mexico’s gigantic whale sharks and South Africa’s great white sharks to tiny nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses and the charismatic coconut octopus.