After witnessing the birth of a seal, Ben forges a close bond with it, observing and sharing her life in the ocean.

With grit, poetry, and humor, Peter Heller, acclaimed author of The River and The Whale Warriors recounts his remarkable journey of discovery—of surfing, an entirely new challenge; of the ocean’s beauty and power; of the strange surf subculture; of love; and, most of all, of how to seek adventure while crafting a meaningful life. Author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Dog Stars Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature Having resolved to master a big-hollow wave—that is, to go from kook (surfese for beginner) to shredder—in a single year, Heller travels from Southern California down the coast of Mexico in the company of his girlfriend and the eccentric surfers they meet. Exuberant and fearless, Heller explores the technique and science of surfing the secrets of its culture, and the environmental ravages to the stunning coastline he visits. As Heller plumbs the working of his own heart and finds joy in both love and surfing, he affords readers vivid insight into this fascinating world, with all of its perils and pleasures, its absurdity and wonder. Exhilarating, entertaining, and moving, Kook is a love story between a man and his surfboard, a man and his girlfriend, a not-so-old man and the sea.

Although he is on crutches, a boy goes to the beach with his grandfather, where they watch a seal being born, and over the following seasons, the boy and the seal develop a special bond.

Surfing's Greatest Misadventures contains thirty of themost engaging, humorous and unbelievable stories ofsurfing life from the past fifty years. Culled fromhundreds of submissions, the non-fiction stories selectedfor this one-of-a-kind collection run the gamut from theterrifying to the comical to the downright bizarre. Thestories ......

Duane's account of a year spent surfing in Santa Cruz, California. Interspersed with the narrative of days passed on the water are good-humored explanations of the physics of wave dynamics, the art of surfboard design, dexcriptions of the flora and fauna

In 1973, young Kevin Naughton and Craig Peterson took to the road with surfboards, camera gear and an untameable desire for adventure. For ten years they scoured the planet in search of perfect waves and the experiences only a traveler on the road encounters. "Kevin Naughton and Craig Peterson are two surfers who defined surf travel in the early 1970's. They set off with a board each and rough maps, heading for the most remote possible places in West Africa and beyond, all for the quest of undiscovered surf spots. They felt the flow of travel, and they breathed in the air of the countries they visited, writing the odd mystical surf story for SURFER magazine, sending down the occasional alluring image of a wave breaking off a shipwreck, in front of a mile high sand dune, or at the bottom of a sheer cliff." Craig Jarvis, Tracks magazineThis series of books chronicles their journey. Featuring original photos and text from California, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, West Africa, Sahara Desert, Morocco, Ireland, France, Fiji, South Africa and beyond.

The ocean is packed with plants, animals, water… and science! Ride the waves of knowledge with Sam and Jade as they explain all about the amazing wonders of the sea, and have a blast doing it. Have you ever wondered why the ocean has waves? Why the tide goes in and out? And how can coral be alive when it looks like a rock? From the pages of the beloved graphic novel series, join the Surfside Girls, Sam and Jade, for a great investigation into everything that makes the ocean so cool: from moon cycles and king tides, to why a wave breaks, to otters in kelp forests… with plenty of fun and jokes along the way. Plus, there’s a whole step-by-step chapter on how to surf! The Science of Surfing is the coolest way to take a beach vacation and learn at the same time.