Dirk Pitt is enjoying a lazy day on a secluded Oahu beach at Ka'ena Point when he spots a bright flash of yellow, just past the breakers. Braving the dangerous riptides, Pitt swims out and retrieves the item and finds that it is a communication capsule used by submarines who wish to communicate with ships on the surface without surfacing themselves. Inside he finds a chilling message from the commander of the U.S. Navy's latest nuclear submarine, the Starbuck, which disappeared with all hands six months earlier while undergoing sea trials. Investigation reveals that the submarine disappeared in the Pacific Vortex, an area of the ocean north of the Hawaiian Islands where ships have been disappearing for more than 30 years.
Explanation of the novel's title
The Pacific Vortex is the name given to a fictional area of the Pacific Ocean north of the Hawaiian island of Oahu that, similar to the Bermuda Triangle, has a history of ships mysteriously disappearing.
This is the sixth book released featuring the author's primary protagonist, Dirk Pitt, though the author states that this was the first story that he wrote featuring the popular action hero. It was published after much internal debate, and a great deal of prompting from his friends, family and publisher. Cussler states in the Foreword that he feels it is a not up to his usual standards and should be treated as sort of a historical curiosity.
Description:
Dirk Pitt is enjoying a lazy day on a secluded Oahu beach at Ka'ena Point when he spots a bright flash of yellow, just past the breakers. Braving the dangerous riptides, Pitt swims out and retrieves the item and finds that it is a communication capsule used by submarines who wish to communicate with ships on the surface without surfacing themselves. Inside he finds a chilling message from the commander of the U.S. Navy's latest nuclear submarine, the Starbuck, which disappeared with all hands six months earlier while undergoing sea trials. Investigation reveals that the submarine disappeared in the Pacific Vortex, an area of the ocean north of the Hawaiian Islands where ships have been disappearing for more than 30 years. Explanation of the novel's title The Pacific Vortex is the name given to a fictional area of the Pacific Ocean north of the Hawaiian island of Oahu that, similar to the Bermuda Triangle, has a history of ships mysteriously disappearing. This is the sixth book released featuring the author's primary protagonist, Dirk Pitt, though the author states that this was the first story that he wrote featuring the popular action hero. It was published after much internal debate, and a great deal of prompting from his friends, family and publisher. Cussler states in the Foreword that he feels it is a not up to his usual standards and should be treated as sort of a historical curiosity.