Octopus fishing in Tarawa, accidentally sinking a Royal Navy RIB, monitoring the Loch Ness monster and deep diving to 287 feet...
That’s just a small taste of adventures experienced by scientist, author, and film producer Peter Vine, who lives in Clifden, Co Galway with his wife Paula.
His many adventures have been recorded in his new memoir, entitled Spirorbis, named after a tiny tube worm which he researched, which has been published by Artisan House.
Vine, adjunct lecturer at NUI Galway, has spent a lifetime travelling and working in over 30 countries, experiencing many cultures, and diving in many waters.
The Malo 45 Suaimhneas which Peter and Paula Vine sailed
He has been a senior scientist on a joint British-Saudi Fisheries Development Project; director of Suakin Marine Laboratory and founder of Ardbear Sea Farms; managing director of book publishing and film production companies FQC Media and Trident Press Ltd; and project director for the UAE Pavilions at four world expos.
A Red Sea sambuk crewed by Yemeni sailors sailing past Vine in Sudanese waters
Latterly, he has focused on his marine research and writing on conservation of fragile areas such as the coral reefs of the Red Sea.
Close friend and fellow adventurer Doug Allan, wrote the foreword to Spirorbis. Allan is one of the world’s best known and respected cameramen, capturing the natural history of some of the wildest and most remote places on our planet.
Peter Vine eating a banana in between dives at Mesharifa reef in Sudanese Red Sea Photo: Doug Allan
He has worked for BBC, Discovery, National Geographic and many others on series including The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Life, Frozen Planet, Ocean Giants and Operation Iceberg.
In 2012, Allan published Freeze Frame – a Wildlife Cameraman’s Adventures on Ice, a book about his filming experiences.
Vine was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2015 and writes of how he was fascinated to discover that the technology that has saved the lives of so many scuba divers, as in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, is now being used to treat people like him with various conditions.
50% of proceeds from the sale of Spirorbis will go to support the work of The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Hospital. Vine and Allan spoke to Lorna Siggins for Wavelengths, the new weekly podcast on news and views from the Irish coast for Afloat. Thanks to Connemara Community Radio for assisting with the recording.
Listen to the podcast below
More details on Spirorbis can be found on petervine.com
