The Deep (1976) is a bestselling adventure-thriller by Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, capitalizing on his reputation for oceanic suspense. Set in Bermuda, the story follows David Sanders and Gail Berke, a vacationing couple who discover a sunken WWII shipwreck containing a fortune in morphine ampules—and a priceless ancient amulet. Their find attracts dangerous attention: treasure hunters, drug lords, and a local diver with sinister motives, leading to underwater confrontations and coral-cave claustrophobia.
Benchley’s meticulous research (he dove the Bermuda reefs himself) lends authenticity to the diving scenes, though critics noted the plot’s Jaws-like formula: innocent protagonists vs. nature-and-human villains.
Adapted into a 1977 film starring Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset, famed for its underwater cinematography (and Bisset’s wet T-shirt).
