Hebridean Sharker
Hebridean Sharker by Tex Geddes is a reissue published by Origin on March 20, 2025. This memoir recounts Geddes’ adventures as a basking shark hunter in the 1950s, navigating the challenging waters of the Minch between the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Utilizing an adapted whaling harpoon, Geddes and his crew faced perilous conditions in pursuit of these massive fish, known for their valuable liver oil. The narrative also touches on his diverse experiences prior to this, including his time as a boxer, rumrunner, and a member of the Special Forces during World War Two.
Readers will find a vivid portrayal of life at sea, as Geddes combines his shark hunting with various local activities such as lifeboat crewing, ring-net fishing, and deer-stalking. His journey culminates in the purchase of the small island of Soay, where he continued his adventures and embraced the role of Laird. This memoir offers insights into the historical context of the Hebrides and the unique lifestyle of its inhabitants, making it a significant contribution to the genres of biographies and memoirs, as well as a resource for those interested in travel and exploration. With 176 pages, this edition is presented in English, capturing the essence of a life steeped in adventure and the rugged beauty of the islands.
Official synopsis Publisher
In ‘Hebridean Sharker’ Tex Geddes describes his exploits during the 1950s as a hunter of basking sharks in the waters of the Minch, between the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Using an adapted whaling harpoon, he and his crew stalked these huge fish often in perilous conditions, the liver of which is a valuable source of oil. Always a maverick, before World War Two Geddes had been a boxer and a rumrunner to Newfoundland. During the war he established a reputation as an expert knife-thrower and bayonet fencer and served in the Special Forces with Gavin Maxwell (author of Ring of Bright Water). He combined the hazardous pursuit of sharks with crewing the local lifeboat, ring-net fishing, lobstering, deer-stalking and salmon poaching.
He went on to purchase the tiny island of Soay, where he lived with his wife Jeanne, continued to hunt sharks and became the Laird. His story is full of adventures and fantastic descriptions of a seagoing life in the islands. It has become a Hebridean classic.
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