Ocean Exploration

This is a list of non-fiction books on the history of oceanography. Can e.g. include biographies of oceanographers as well as accounts of expeditions. Please add if you know any!
P.S. this list just got a whole lot of entries with books more focused on marine biology, e.g. describing specific species. There are already lists for those books. This one should really focus on the stories behind human exploration of the oceans and history of science, rather than the science itself!

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	Early Man and the Ocean: A Search for the Beginnings of Navigation & Seaborne Civilizations by Thor Heyerdahl 4.11 avg rating — 90 ratings score: 264, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Preparing the Ghost: An Essay Concerning the Giant Squid and Its First Photographer by Matthew Gavin Frank (Goodreads Author) 3.77 avg rating — 265 ratings score: 247, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Cook : The Extraordinary Voyages of Captain James Cook by Nicholas Thomas 3.89 avg rating — 181 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Exploring the Deep: Man, Machine and Mammals in the Quest to Conquer Earth's Last Frontier by Michael Welham 2.50 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Adventures in Ocean Exploration : From the Discovery of the Titanic to the Search for Noah's Flood by Robert D. Ballard really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 42 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea by Callum Roberts 4.26 avg rating — 960 ratings score: 182, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Conquest of the Ocean: An Illustrated History of Seafaring by Brian Lavery 3.83 avg rating — 167 ratings score: 173, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Silent World by Jacques-Yves Cousteau 4.27 avg rating — 1,346 ratings score: 167, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms & a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories by Simon Winchester 3.76 avg rating — 5,213 ratings score: 155, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola 4.08 avg rating — 1,070 ratings score: 154, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans by James G. Stavridis (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 1,660 ratings score: 153, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Beyond the Blue Horizon: How the Earliest Mariners Unlocked the Secrets of the Oceans by Brian M. Fagan 3.41 avg rating — 276 ratings score: 152, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Search for the Giant Squid: The Biology and Mythology of the World's Most Elusive Sea Creature by Richard Ellis 3.70 avg rating — 621 ratings score: 147, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 6,794 ratings score: 143, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Silent Landscape: The Scientific Voyage of HMS Challenger by Richard Corfield 3.78 avg rating — 58 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves by James Nestor 4.45 avg rating — 8,002 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Cove Walking the Plank by Bryant Johnson it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Soundings: The Story of the Remarkable Woman Who Mapped the Ocean Floor by Hali Felt (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 352 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Lost Liners: From the Titanic to the Andrea Doria The Ocean Floor Reveals Its Greatest Ships by Robert D. Ballard 4.36 avg rating — 270 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Wonders in the Deep by Mensun Bound really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 44 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North by Fridtjof Nansen 4.11 avg rating — 1,426 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Oceans: A Deep History by Eelco J. Rohling 3.72 avg rating — 54 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins by Susan Casey 4.04 avg rating — 3,323 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Empty Ocean by Richard Ellis 3.90 avg rating — 210 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Exploring the Deep Frontier: The Adventure of Man in the Sea by Sylvia A. Earle 4.07 avg rating — 15 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Wild Ocean: Sharks, Whales, Rays, and Other Endangered Sea Creatures by Matt Dembicki (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 3.88 avg rating — 66 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Voyage of the Challenger by Eric Linklater 3.79 avg rating — 14 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Song for the Blue Ocean: Encounters Along the World's Coasts and Beneath the Seas by Carl Safina (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 944 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them by Ted Danson 4.22 avg rating — 302 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One by Sylvia A. Earle 4.27 avg rating — 1,292 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans and Our Quest to Understand Earth's Past Mass Extinctions by Peter Brannen (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 5,941 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Full Fathom Five: Ocean Warming and a Father's Legacy by Gordon Chaplin (Goodreads Author) 3.48 avg rating — 21 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Junk Raft: An Ocean Voyage and a Rising Tide of Activism to Fight Plastic Pollution by Marcus Eriksen really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 192 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Ice Diaries: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Daring Mission by William R. Anderson 4.11 avg rating — 748 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Tragedy of the Commodity: Oceans, Fisheries, and Aquaculture by Stefano B. Longo 4.24 avg rating — 25 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 6,258 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Europe Between the Oceans: Themes and Variations, 9000 BC - AD 1000 by Barry Cunliffe 4.13 avg rating — 637 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck 3.84 avg rating — 6,441 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them by Donovan Hohn (Goodreads Author) 3.31 avg rating — 3,267 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Aglow in the Dark: The Revolutionary Science of Biofluorescence by Vincent Pieribone 4.25 avg rating — 28 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey by Linda Greenlaw 3.85 avg rating — 5,836 ratings score: 80, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Ocean (Nature Panoram Series) by Susan Deming 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey 4.04 avg rating — 11,391 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	On the Ocean: The Mediterranean and the Atlantic from prehistory to AD 1500 by Barry Cunliffe 4.28 avg rating — 58 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Shark Drunk: The Art of Catching a Large Shark from a Tiny Rubber Dinghy in a Big Ocean by Morten A. Strøksnes really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5,588 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Sextant: The Elegant Instrument That Guided the Great Explorers, and a Young Man's First Journey Across the Atlantic by David Barrie (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 781 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator by Jason M. Colby 4.16 avg rating — 322 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Voyages and Discoveries: Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation by Richard Hakluyt 3.57 avg rating — 162 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Last Voyage: Captain Cook's Lost Diary by Hammond Innes 3.58 avg rating — 38 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Farfarers: Before the Norse by Farley Mowat 4.03 avg rating — 550 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Human, the Orchid, and the Octopus: Exploring and Conserving Our Natural World by Susan Schiefelbein 4.01 avg rating — 471 ratings score: 71, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau 4.23 avg rating — 951 ratings score: 69, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 1,862 ratings score: 67, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino 4.12 avg rating — 1,172 ratings score: 66, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars