Swimming with Spears

This article is about the relationship between man and meal and how that relationship is affected by having to source, stalk, and kill your own food. When Tetsuhiko Endo takes up spearfishing while living in a small town on the coast of New South Wales, Australia, his knowledge of fish doesn't extend very far beyond the table. As he begins to explore his watery surroundings with only goggles, a spear gun, and a sharp knife, his knowledge and appreciation of both fish and their environment grow into a mild obsession. He weaves small anecdotes from the history of fishing into his quest to bring food from the ocean to the table in order to bring to life the strange and alien realm that becomes the backdrop for his watery wanderings. Fear, danger, beauty, death, aggression, and delicious fish mingle together in this unique adventure yarn-cum-locavore's feast.