Miscellaneous Blogs
Film Review: Thirteen Lives
Ron Howard’s recreation of the 2018 rescue of a Thai junior football team is impressive. Even though we know what happens in the end the tension and drama played out is palpable.
On 23 June 2018, 12 members of a Thai junior football team, the Wild Boars, and their coach became trapped deep in the Tham Luang cave system by rising flood water. The film details the incredible international rescue efforts that ensue. And Ron Howard has judged the tone perfectly. There is no Hollywood glitz and glamour and the two leading actors: Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen, who play John Volanthen and Rick Stanton respectively, capture the intensity of the situation perfectly.
The diving scenes are claustrophobic in the extreme. Although I suspect that the visibility was even worse than the film depicts as you have to be able to see something in the dramatization! All the way through the film I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at the extraordinary feat these divers pulled off. The skill and bravery required still impresses after watching films, hearing them speak in public and reading about the rescue.
I loved that, whilst the divers took centre stage in the film, the heroic rescue efforts of the water engineer and his team was also given the attention they deserve, as well as the incredible Thai Navy Seals and the thousands of people that flocked to the region to help.
Thirteen Lives is a must watch movie about an incredible cave rescue. It’s sober tone hits the mark. The cinematography is skilled and creates an impressively tense experience. It is available on Amazon Prime right now.
Miscellaneous Blogs
Book Review: Inshore Fishes of Britain and Ireland

Inshore Fishes of Britain and Ireland by Lin Baldock and Frances Dipper is a book designed for divers and snorkelers to help them identify the wealth of species found near our shores.
What really stands out is how easy this book is to use. One of my favourite things about this book is how it is laid out. The fish are grouped by the habitat you would usually find them in. This really helps the average diver! You can browse the type of dive you were doing, whether it was on a wreck, along a bed of seagrass, or hovering in the blue, you can find the section of the book and then the species that live there. The book is packed full of excellent photos to help you too.
Once you have located the species you are looking for, there is a really handy guide, showing you the habitats that species can be found in, what depth range they usually frequent and a brilliantly easy key to show you their approximate size.
I know this is a book that I will regularly dip into, probably after every dive I do when diving around the UK. If you like to know about what you are seeing underwater, this is a perfect companion for any diver or snorkeler.
What the publisher says:
Fish are a colourful and important part of inshore marine life, much admired by divers and snorkellers. But it can be difficult to accurately identify and record these quick-moving animals underwater. This authoritative, beautifully illustrated photographic guide offers a practical, easy-to-use approach for identifying the fish species commonly seen in the waters around Britain and Ireland, as well as a few vagrant and interesting rare species. The book’s concise text explains how fish can be identified underwater, and is accompanied by numerous photographs of each species in its natural environment and diagrams illustrating key features. The book also clearly indicates the cases when underwater species identification is more difficult. Published in association with the UK’s Marine Conservation Society, the book makes an invaluable addition to the series of marine photographic titles of Seasearch, a species recording project for volunteer sports divers.
- Features individual descriptions of more than 150 species, with information on size, depth range, habitat and distribution in the Seasearch guide icon format
- Illustrates every species in its natural underwater environment
- Emphasises key identification features and possible confusion species
- Includes a “confidence guide” distinguishing between easily recognisable species and those requiring closer examination
- Features longer sections highlighting interesting species, behaviours and other topics
- Provides information on protected species, taxonomy, shifting distributions and conservation status
Additional Information
- Price £22
- ISBN: 9780691249018
- Published: 25th April 2023
- Type: Paperback
- Pages: 288
Miscellaneous Blogs
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