In this book, marine biologist Fiona Gell tells the story of a pioneering project to create the very first marine nature reserve on the Isle of Man. Growing up in a traditional fishing family on the island, Fiona spent her time on her grandfather’s boat, listening to stories from the local fishermen and combing the beach for mermaid’s purses and whelks’ eggs. She developed a lifelong love of the sea and Manx culture, and on her return to the island after twelve years away studying marine life, she led a three-year-long struggle to protect an area called Ramsey Bay and the precious emerald green eelgrass forests which grew there. With scientific insight and spellbinding prose she perfectly captures the wonder of island life, from the intricate beauty of bright pink maerl, to the enormity of giant basking sharks spotted off the cliffs of the bay. This beautiful story from a small island reveals the transformative power of the sea, and the importance of protecting it for future generations.

“Down among the anemones, I am also reminded of the vulnerability of the ocean.”

Fiona Gell “Spring Tides: Exploring Marine Life of the Isle of Man”. Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2022. Donated to the library by Fiona Gell and sent from Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland ❤️

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library