The Deep

The huge success of the film adaptation of Peter Benchley's best selling novel Jaws had studios clamoring for the rights to bring another Benchley novel to the silver screen before the buzz over Jaws died down. Two years after Jaws, Columbia would bring us The Deep, hoping for success with the film's ties to Benchley, while at the same time, Paramount was debuting Orca and trying to capture the killer beast in the water magic that was so successful with Jaws. Neither was very successful in their efforts to ride the coattails of the shark.

Aside from the Peter Benchley connection, the only thing The Deep had in common with Jaws was salt water and Robert Shaw. Instead of a big killer shark, we have more of a psychological drama in which much of the action takes place under the surface of the ocean.

Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte play a couple of divers who accidently discover sunken treasure off the coast of Bermuda. They find an experienced treasure hunter, Robert Shaw (who is pretty much the same character as he was as Quint in Jaws). They want the treasure for themselves, but alas, it won't be that easy. There are some drug smugglers whose stash has also been stumbled upon by our diver friends. There is intrigue and danger, and once the drug kingpin (played by Louis Gossett, Jr.) learns about the treasure, he wants that as well as the special bottle of his that the divers discovered and won't give back.

The movie was never able to capture blockbuster status, but it accomplished two things during its run on the movie screen. It gave us Jacqueline Bisset in a wet t-shirt, starting the wet t-shirt craze that continues to this day. It also started a parade of people towards the water who wanted to learn how to dive so they could have exciting adventures as well.

The film has some interesting twists and isn't as predictable as most Hollywood fare. Sometimes you can catch it on cable on Sunday afternoons, which is the best time to watch it (not great by any means, but interesting enough to keep your attention). A good movie to drink rum with. Some fried clams, shrimp or calamari is also an excellent complement.

"The Deep" is the title to a short story written by Isaac Asimov. It describes a race which has telepathic abilities, living on a planet which has a dying sun. There are no planets nearer the sun to move to and the nearest appropriate system nearby is 500 light years away. This leads the race into digging burrows underground to tap the energy of the core. They also control reproduction with only the useful children being born (adults are only allowed to reproduce depending on their abilities). This story follows two individuals, a mother and her child. The child turns out to be rather intelligent, possesing strong telepathic abilities (despite his mother's lesser abilities). This leads to his involvement in a special mission to allow the race to cross the vast distances needed to find a new planet.

Rather than tell you how this is done I'll let you read it yourself. This book is a pretty good story and is carried out well though some of the conversations seem incredibly forced (such as the one between Roi and Gan which is there purely to explain the mission). The characters in this story also seem more shallow than in other stories. Not much of their personalities are seen in the book though the mother (Wenda) is investigated most. I think that this is to emphasise the differences of the species with one species (ours) looking after their offspring and the other race being totally detached. This was explored through the reactions of Wenda to her son (Roi) and the reactions between Laura (a human mother) and her child. This makes the story seem more an exploration of Humans than of the alien race. By using a point of reference that is wildly different he allows us to look at our species in a different light. So like a lot of Asimov's stories this one has a central theme that is explored, most probably to make us think differently than we used to.

All in all this is an interesting book though not the most literary profound. Most people who like Science Fiction will find the theme talked about in this book interesting and well conveyed though some of the rough edges may annoy some people.

This story is copyright 1952 by Galaxy Publishing Corporation as published in The Martian Way. If anyone knows whether this has changed then please tell me

"I genuinely consider that this project has the potential to be regarded as one of the most characterful and unique new public buildings in Britain"

- Sir Terry Farrell, chief architect for The Deep project

The Deep is forty-five million pounds worth of glass and aluminum, housing one of the most ambitious aquarium projects in the world. An aquarium to the public and a marine research project behind closed doors, The Deep is encased in a very modern design; spiked and curved all at once, in a shape that thrusts out into the confluence of the River Hull and the River Humber at the point known locally as Sammy's Point. The Deep was conceived as part of the ongoing regeneration of Hull's city centre, both as a tourist attraction, a work of modern architectural art, and as a charity organisation for the preservation and understanding of the world's oceans.

The exact positioning of the stunning building was an easy choice for planners to make. Sammy's Point has long been an important area in Hull's naval history as a busy port. In 1543 Henry VIII built a castle there, followed by Charles II's 1681 improvement - a huge Citadel for defense and co-ordination of military action. In 1864, the land was reused for dock buildings, and eventually, in 1857 one mister Martin Samuelson set up a shipyard on the land, and gave the area it's unofficial name - Sammy's Point. By the 1980's, with Hull no longer a major port, it was used as a buoy depot, before it was finally acquired as the site for major redevelopment as The Deep - a huge, semi-subterranean aquarium and marine research centre.

The building of The Deep

In April 1999, Sammy's Point was a semi-derelict brown field site with not a lot going for it. With no other plans for the land, EMIH Limited (a charity set up jointly by Hull City Council and the University of Hull to promote and lead the regeneration of Hull as a "dynamic European Maritime City") purchased the land with funding and support from the Millennium Commission, commissioned a building design from Terry Farrell, and started work. Two years later and several million pounds over budget, The Deep finally opened it's doors to the general public on 23 March, 2002.

Whilst men with big diggers and bits of scaffolding were actually building The Deep, Dr David Gibson, the head curator of the entire project was out, trekking all over the globe looking for suppliers of all the species intended for the aquarium. Once a suitable (sustainable) supply was found, the fish were transported to a top-secret quarantine location, to ensure no disease was introduced to the closed system of the building. After months of observation and testing, in November 2001, the fish started to be moved to their new homes. All of the tanks in The Deep use standard tap water, which is purified, and then an artificial sea salt mixture is added as required. It took three days to fill all the tanks and get the water to the correct temperatures for all the different species of fish.

The Deep experience

Seeing The Deep from the outside is quite amazing. Depending on your views on modern architecture, you may disagree, but I think it looks great. Huge swathes of glass glint in the sun and reflect on the water, and the inside is just as impressive: everything is clean and slick and smooth, and the depth of water is amazing. The water, you see, is what marks The Deep out from other aquariums around the world. Instead of separate tanks for separate ocean dwellers, The Deep consists of one main tank, several meters deep, and the majority of the creatures coexist therein, just as they would in the wild. There are some divisions within, to stop the more toothy fishies getting too friendly with some of the more endangered species, and some separate exhibits, but for the main part, there is just one expanse of water.

The effect is quite different to most aquariums: you start at the top, and descend down into the murky waters below, in a lift. Yes, an underwater lift that travels ten meters below sea level, leaving you in the deepest viewing tunnel in Europe, with sharks circling around you. It's like being in a James Bond plot device, and quite an amazing experience. As with all museums nowadays there are things to read and learn, and the obligatory "hands on" fun for the kids, but sometimes the most fun comes from just pointing at a fish with an amusing shaped head and saying "eeeeew"!

As well as the main deep tank, there are a number of other exhibits, tanks and projects open to the public. You can see tropical fish, fish from the North Sea, sharks, all kinds of coral, seahorses, little things hiding in shells, gliding stringrays and all sorts of tentacled and aquatic creatures. In fact, there are so many marine animals spread across so many tanks, that The Deep is the only aquarium in the UK to employ a specialist science officer to make sure they all get fed the correct foods - and that they don't eat each other too often!

"This collaboration with The Deep represents a great opportunity for us to share experiences, and to bring our science to a much wider audience."

- Dr Murray Roberts, research team leader for the Scottish Association for Marine Science

While The Deep is an aquarium open to the public, it is also a "an environmental and educational charity dedicated to understanding and protecting the world's oceans". This end, they have worked with marine biologists and other boffin types from around the world to help with the breeding and preservation of endangered species. For example, this year The Deep is working with the Scottish Association for Marine Science to research and help a variety cold water coral, Lophelia pertusa, which is under threat from deep water trawling.

How to get to The Deep

The Deep is located pretty much in the town center of Hull, England. Hull is a reasonably easily accessed city, with links via road and rail, so getting there shouldn't be a problem.

By bus, rail and foot:
Arrive at Paragon Station, Hull's only train station, and then:

• If you're a healthy chap, walk. It's not that far. Leave the station and cross the road toward Debenhams. From then on, you should be able to see pedestrian signs dotted around, pointing the way. The Hull Navigators are also good for giving directions and looking stupid in bright yellow fluorescent jackets.
   
• Catch a number 90 bus. It leaves from the bus station (which is directly adjacent to the train station, handily enough) every twenty minutes, and will drop you off on the pedestrian bridge opposite The Deep.
   
• Get a taxi. There's always some outside the train station, obviously. It'll cost you about £3.50 to get there, with banter from the taxi driver at no added cost.

By car, motorcycle, tractor or unicycle
I'll assume you're not coming from somewhere else in Hull, but another town in the UK. If you're from Hull, you should know where you're going by now.

• Head for Hull, or the Humber Bridge and then Hull if you're coming from the south. As soon as the town centre is signposted, head there. Before you get into the city centre, there are signposts for The Deep to follow. Really, it's well signposted. You won't have a problem.

As an added bonus, if you're planning on visiting The Deep, send me a /msg, as Hull is my hometown, and you might get yours truly as a guide! How cool would that be?!

Admission times, fees, and contacting The Deep

If you're planning on visiting The Deep, you should probably check the opening hours and admission fees in advance. At the time of writing, an adult ticket cost £6.75, a child's £4.75, with the visitor's centre open from 10am until 4pm. As an up-to-date tourist attraction, The Deep is well equipped for disabled access, the hard of hearing and blind, with both signers and guide dogs available on request. Children are obviously very welcome, so if you don't like children much, I'd advise a visit during term time!

You can get in touch with the people at The Deep by snail mail, email, telephone, fax, or via their funky blue website. They're a well connected group of people:

The Deep,
Kingston upon Hull,
HU1 4DP
 
Telephone: (+44) 01482 381000
      Fax: (+44) 01482 381010
    Email: info@thedeep.co.uk
      Web: http://www.thedeep.co.uk

Resources and Bibliography

• Visit The Deep
  http://www.thedeep.co.uk
   
• buffcorePhil's own photos from The Deep
  There's a small gallery of photos my father took during a visit to the deep here: (updated!)
  http://photos.philcooper.org.uk/000000-e2-the-deep/
   
• River Humber dot com: The Merchants of Hull
  http://website.lineone.net/~ktaylor297/index8a5.htm
   
• House of Commons: Culture, Media and Sport: The Deep Millennium Project
  http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmcumeds/578/578ap12.htm
   
• The Deep promotion leaflets and junk mail
  Free with some editions of The Hull Daily Mail and from the City Information Service.
   

 
 
Created as part of wertperch's UK tourism quest.
Everything Quests: Places to visit in Ireland and the UK » A Tourist Guide to Northeast England

Rap song recorded by the experimental hip hop group clipping. in 2017. 

So let's talk a little about clipping. (Their preferred spelling of the name is all lower-case with a period at the end.) They formed in 2009 when producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes got together mostly to amuse themselves making remixes of mainstream hip hop songs. They upped their game in 2010 when they brought Hutson's childhood friend, a guy named Daveed Diggs, into the group. Diggs was a very talented rapper and lyricist, and they put together some very cool, excellently-reviewed albums. And things got interesting for the group when Diggs won the twin roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the insanely popular Broadway musical "Hamilton" in 2015. They were getting a lot more attention now than they did when they were merely a very well-regarded experimental hip hop band. Their next album, 2016's "Splendor and Misery," got heard by a lot more people. It was a science fiction concept album, about a futuristic slave fleeing his masters aboard a spaceship, and the album was nominated in 2017 for a Hugo Award in the "Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)" category -- the first time a musical album had received a Hugo nomination since Paul Kantner's "Blows Against the Empire" album in 1971.

Now clipping. isn't really a sci-fi band. Their previous records followed characters in modern cities, all while using, subverting, and reversing a variety of common hip hop themes. The expectation would be that they'd probably leave science fiction behind to focus on more musical experimentation. However, in 2017, they released a new record, a single, called "The Deep," which takes the form of a sci-fi short story about an underwater civilization, the Drexciyans (the name is taken from the electronic music group Drexciya, which originally wrote songs about African slaves creating their own aquatic nation), who take revenge on destructive, greedy humanity. The song's introduction provides the basic story, as a woman's electronic voice tells us: 

"Our mothers were pregnant African women, thrown overboard while crossing the Atlantic Ocean on slave ships.
We were born breathing water as we did in the womb.
We built our home on the sea floor, unaware of the two-legged surface dwellers until their world came to destroy ours.
With cannons, they searched for oil beneath our cities. Their greed and recklessness forced our uprising.
Tonight, we remember."

Against an aural background of low bubbling and chiming bells, Diggs starts slow, very slow, extolling the virtues of living in the deep (so deep, so so deep), where life is slow, pleasant, peaceful. But humanity, questing for oil, blindly fires cannons at the ocean floor (with a shuddering explosion and shockwave on the soundtrack), destroying the Drexciyans' cities and disrupting life in the deep. Plotting vengeance, they begin to rise toward the surface. 

And with each verse that passes, as the Drexciyans rise higher, as the light and heat increases, the beat speeds up. And Diggs can rap pretty damn fast. 

And when they finally reach the surface (No deep, no more deep. Sunshiiiine), humanity is shocked and terrified by the undersea monsters. But the Drexciyans realize they share kinship with the surface dwellers. Can they bring themselves to destroy family? Perhaps they can't, but a lesson must still be taught.

They were sisters and brothers, they were the babies born up out the water
Not connected to each other
Not in knowledge of the one dropped
But they had to learn today
Y'all had one shot, let the sun burn today
Let them feel the dark even deeper today
Make a two leg a believer today

And the song ends as a massive tidal wave rises and smashes through a city. 

I think the Afrofuturist elements in this song are pretty strong, though they are largely, if you will, under the surface. We're only given a specific origin for the Drexciyans during the introduction, but it's clear they still retain their African heritage and their status as victims of the global slave trade. It's equally clear that their new society is peaceful and advanced -- moreso than the civilization of the (white) surface dwellers, who have no idea they have relatives living at the bottom of the ocean and who use primitive explosives to inefficiently search for oil. The eventual conflict is decisive -- the Drexciyans have technology capable to creating powerful tsunamis, but the aquatic species is still merciful enough not to utterly destroy the land-dwellers. 

clipping. received their second "Best Dramatic Presentation" Hugo nomination for "The Deep" in 2018. Listen to it here. 

Research: 
"Don't Underestimate the the Genius of 'The Deep' on This Year's Hugo Ballot
"Daveed Diggs Raps a Human/A.I. Love Story in Hugo-Nominated Hip-Hop Space Opera"

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