This book would not have been possible without the assistance of the expert divers who shared their time and experiences to help bring these fifty great venues to life. To these men and women, I offer the most heartfelt thanks. I would especially like to thank Ethan Gordon, Tom Phillipp, and the Scubazoo crew, who made many introductions on my behalf and helped educate me on the fine points of their beloved underwater world. I also want to acknowledge the fine efforts of my editor Jennifer Levesque, designer Paul Wagner, and copyeditor Sylvia Karchmar, who were all instrumental in bringing this book into being. Also thanks to Claire Greenspan, whose untiring work has helped make the Fifty Places series viable. Thanks also go to my agent Stephanie Kip Rostan, for her sage counsel and equalizing influence. I also want to thank my mom and dad, who comforted me after an illfated diving outing in Acapulco in 1977, and encouraged me to pursue my dream of being a writer. Most of all, I extend the deepest thanks to my wife, Deidre, and daughters, Cassidy Rose and Annabel Blossom, who have displayed tremendous patience, flexibility, and love. I hope that some of the wonders of the underwater world will be intact when they’re old enough to take to the sea.