The Girl Of The Sea Of Cortez: Peter Benchley

Paloma, a fourteen year old girl seems to be almost a sea nymph, rather than flesh and blood. She's fearless and curious, and carries the knowledge of the sea and its inhabitants handed down to her from her fisherman father and her adventures are a guide to the beauty and mystery of the underwater world. But no-one on her island shares Paloma's belief. To the others, sea creatures are of two kinds only - those that are good to eat, in which case they are killed for the pot or to sell; and the other kind are dangerous, in which case they are just killed. Since her father made his living from the sea, his legacy to her is not a sentimental one - it is destructive ignorance she loathes, not necessary use of nature. Destructive ignorance is coming to threaten Paloma's secret world, and she must find the courage and skill to defy the threat and fight it off. Cover art by Graham Humphreys.