“A Fascination for fish” by David C Powell

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“A Fascination for fish” by David C Powell. David Powell started diving in the early 1950s and managed to make his living capturing fish for and eventually working for several aquariums on the West Coast of California including Marine World of the Pacific Los Angeles, Sea World San Diego, Steinhart San Francisco and finally the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He says he started with a French made Cousteau double hose regulator with the serial number 106. He made some of his early gear like a dry suite and speaks of other early divers. Some good stories of the early years diving but the book moves mostly into what it was/is like setting up and keeping up a commercial aquarium and how aquariums have evolved over the years. I had not heard of the David Powell before reading the book but remember seeing his displays in San Francisco and Monterey. The book is an easy read and very enjoyable. You do not have to be a diver to get something out of it and anyone who enjoys aquariums will like the book. The forward is written by Silvia Earle.