From the drowned kingdoms of Ys and Lyonesse to the phantom islands of the Atlantic, this book journeys through the stories born where land meets sea. We meet the Kappa water spirits and Mayazaki's inspirational Yakushima island, the Inuit of the Arctic islands and their tales of selkies and transformation, and trace Mami Wata – the black mermaid said to have accompanied slave ships the Outer Banks. We encounter the taniwha sea monsters of Aotearoa and the fairy people of the dry islands of the Cajun swamps, discover flooded Valles in both Wales and the Seneca Nation, and hear whaling tales from New England.

These stories highlight issues of rising sea levels, water pollution, displaced people, isolation, mismanaged fishing and the legal rights of water.