Mountains in the Sea

Published in 1958, this book describes a research expedition on Gough Island, a dependency of Tristan da Cunha, west of South Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Gough Scientific Survey, as the expedition was known, was made up of various scientists, who had completed their studies, and obtained various grants and donations in order to make the survey, from the likes of the Scott Polar Research institute (Cambridge), the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Meteorological Society, the Mount Everest Foundation, the Zoological Society, various colleges and University funds, and a South African newspaper group. HRH Prince Phillip was also a supporter of the project (and wrote a foreword in the book).

After an introductory chapter on the establishment of the project, where all the participants are introduced, and they journey to South Africa, the next few chapters take place on Tristan da Cunha, where they await transportation to Gough Island. They spend longer than expected awaiting the ship, which is delayed in Cape Town, but make good use of the time by carrying out research and survey work on Tristan da Cunha, and ingratiate them selves with the locals, who support and assist them not only here, but two men accompany them to Gough to assist as guides. Although the group spend around 6 months on Gough Island, the two guides are relieved by another pair half way through - and they prove invaluable in the prevention of rash decisions related to weather condition and other situations.

Other chapters in the book, while not all being necessarily on a linear timeline, and clearly arranged by topic. The book explains the geography, a lot of the process around their survey, research and cataloguing, and also the general day to day experiences.

I should probably explain the very general term survey, which probably undersells their undertaking. Survey, in the purest sense, is vital - in that with theodolite they accurately map the entire island. Its peaks and landforms, its coastline and even an attempt at the depth of the seabed in its proximity. Along the way they discover that the peak previously recognised as the highest is in fact not, and name a good many of the natural features. As well as this they undertake botanical, biological and geographical survey - ie collecting and identifying all flora and fauna on the island, and all rockforms and geological history.

In terms of points of interest - sea mammals, sea birds, land birds are the most prolific and obvious, but unique and newly identified plants are found, as well as insects and the like.

Overall, well written, and of interest to readers of expedition journal style writing (and I have loads of these types of books), so for me 4 stars.

I probably also identified with this book right now, because in a couple of weeks I head off on a 10 day expedition to the Sub antarctic Islands south of New Zealand (it is a tourist expedition, not a real one before you get the wrong idea). A converted Antarctic research ship, which travels south from the bottom of the South Island of NZ to the Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island and the Campbell Islands. Like Gough Island (but quite a bit further south) there are many penguins, seals, sea lions, albatross and sea birds, and spectacular scenery. Being in the Southern Pacific Ocean, a lot further south than Gough, it will be much less temperate!