Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake: Life Lessons from Sixty Sea Creatures

Sixty bizarre and beautiful marine creatures offer their best tips for self-confidence, serenity, and fulfillment—drawn from real-life facts about our fascinating natural world.

If you sometimes wish to simply sink back into the depths of the ocean, great news—the strange little guys who still live down there will receive you with open arms (and fins, claws, and tentacles). But if you’re not quite ready to take to the sea, they’ve also got some solid advice for those cursed to live on solid ground.

In Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake, Earth's weirdest sea creatures offer their favorite tips for improving your life on land. Get to know these friendly denizens of the deep:

The star tunicate, who avoids anxiety—by digesting its own brainThe gloomy octopus, who asserts its boundaries—by throwing dirt at anyone who bothers itThe fire-breathing shrimp, who gets its feelings out—by vomiting bioluminescent gooThe deep-sea anglerfish, who expresses love—by fusing with its mateAnd more wonderfully wacky undersea weirdos who really know how to live!

Beautifully illustrated with charming watercolor portraits of the ocean’s most eccentric creatures, Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake will help you bring a freewheeling, relaxed, self-actualized ocean spirit to even the driest life.

About the Author

Cara Giaimo is a science journalist who loves writing about our fellow species. You can find her work in the New York Times, Atlas Obscura, The Plant, and elsewhere. Cara lives in Somerville, MA, above sea level.

Author Residence: Somerville, MA

Author Hometown: Sherborn, MA

Vlad Stankovic is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Sydney, Australia. His inspiration comes from science and nature on one hand, and fantasy, fairy tales, and all sorts of mysteries on the other. Created with both digital and traditional media, his illustrations can be seen published in picture books, greeting cards and other stationery products worldwide.

Illustrator Residence:Sydney, Australia