THE glorious Purbeck coastline features in a new coffee-table book from award-winning marine photographer, sailor and occasional Gazette contributor Steve Belasco.

The Jurassic Coast is renowned for its beauty as well as its dramatic history. Home to England’s only natural World Heritage Site, this stretch of our country has a wealth of spectacular scenery, from wave-battered cliffs to sweeping beaches, sheltered coves and sea caves.
In this beautiful book, Steve voyages through the waters of this famed coastline aboard his boat, capturing not only the unrivalled scenery but taking a close look at the wide variety of maritime activities, from little fishing boats to large ships, many kinds of water sports and, of course, the wonderful wildlife.
He also enlightens us with plenty of local history and information.
He says: “There are already wonderful books of images from the land and even the air.
“But I wanted to create the first to view the entire Jurassic Coast from wave level.
“The sea created this coastline so what better viewpoint to see it from than offshore?
“I have immense pride in my home territory but few people are lucky enough to spend time on these waters. I want everyone to share the experience of what it’s like to be ‘out there looking in’”.
Steve and his family have lived near the coast in Dorset for more than 30 years and he has been a photojournalist for longer. He is an ambassador for the Jurassic Coast Trust, the charity that manages, teaches and promotes the coastline to the wider world, and this is his third book.
Sailing along in his boat he has captured the very essence of our celebrated coast in this selection of striking and unique images.

There are more than 180 of them, from the dazzling chalk stacks around Old Harry to the vivid red sandstone stacks of East Devon, 95 miles to the west; Indeed, Steve estimates he has sailed some 2,000 miles in doing so!
The voyage also takes us visually back in time some 200 million years!
Scan through these photographs and you’ll see why this area of beauty and Earth science is cherished by so many.
For its proud inhabitants, regular visitors and even casual tourists (and with a foreword by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall) The Jurassic Coast From The Sea is a must.
It’s available to pre-order direct from the author (signed if requested) at stevebelasco.net or good bookshops.
The Jurassic Coast From The Sea, £16.99. Halsgrove. ISBN 978-0-85704-324-5