In "Amphibious Soul," Craig Foster, renowned for the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher, recounts his transformative experiences in the Great African Sea Forest off the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Foster's memoir details his return to nature after a severe bout of cerebral malaria contracted during 25 years of documentary filming, involving locations like Gabon’s forests and the lakes of Malawi and Rwanda.
The book emphasizes the healing power of the sea—dubbed "Big Mother"—and explores Foster's deepening connection with marine life, inspired by the methods of Indigenous San trackers. Foster describes learning to interpret the environment’s signs and behaviors while freediving among sharks and kelp.
Curiously, the octopus, central to his acclaimed documentary, occupies only a brief mention in the memoir. Instead, Foster expands on the broader theme of reestablishing human bonds with the natural world, albeit through a lens that some readers might find egocentric.
Published by Thorsons, Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World reflects on the intricate and often personal ways nature communicates with humans.