" I grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand, just five minutes’ drive from the South Taranaki coast. I didn’t hear about the reefs far offshore until I was 15. When I finally learned about them, I couldn’t believe such an incredible place existed so close to home.. and that I’d never been told about it before.

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Becoming a diver gave me the chance to see those reefs for myself. I was amazed when I took a look at a nautical chart for the first time and saw the huge shallow shelf that stretches from our coastline, a rare underwater world where sunlight still reaches the seafloor.

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Understanding this “benthic geography” of the ocean, the hidden landscapes beneath the waves, can be challenging, but it’s also what makes our coast so unique. These reefs are extraordinary, and now, as a rescue diver, I spend much of my time exploring them.

This is the book I wished I had as a child. While it’s told as a story, it’s grounded in real life. My hope is that it helps young readers discover the magic of their local ocean and what makes it unique a lot earlier than I did.

 

Nina’s journey in this story also highlights the importance of sharing knowledge across generations, so the next wave of ocean explorers grows up knowing what’s out there, just offshore. "

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- Rebecca