Sub-pilot reveals secrets of Cayman Trench

(CNS): Local author and sub-diver Gary Montemayor will be holding a presentation and book signing at Books & Books this Friday launching of his debut book Down the Cayman Wall. As a Deep Sub Pilot, Montemayor has explored the perilous depths of the world’s oceans in search of new species and precocious phenomena. Down the Cayman Wall he encountered alien sea creatures including an aggressive 26 foot prehistoric shark. Montemayor moved to Grand Cayman from Hawaii in 1996 and spent the next 8 years diving a 21 foot research submarine to 1,000 feet in and around George Town almost every day.

This unique exposure to the same patch of sea and its inhabitants left him with a rich tapestry of unique experiences. The book follows the author on a hunt for answers about the deep. While guiding an expedition into the Cayman Trench for a film crew from BBC’s popular show Blue Planet Montemayor crosses paths with an underwater giant.

Not just about giant sea creatures lurking at great depths the book also reveals the discovery of an underwater neighbourhood full of unusual characters.

The island of Grand Cayman, its people, its places, and its way of life forms the backdrop book which critics say ranges from hilarious to peculiar, and even totally surreal.

Montemayor has accomplished more than 2000 dives in manned submersible and has served as a test pilot for two prototype submersibles. He is the newest Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, a Fellow of the prestigious Explores Club of New York, and a member of the American Polar Society. He has also been asked to sit on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Nautical Archaeology of Texas AM and was recently selected as the Honorary Consul for the US Embassy to the Cayman Islands.

The event will include a book discussion and signing as well as a visual presentation of incredible photographs from Montemayor’s expeditions. It is free and open to the public starting at 7pm 1 April