Vizhinjam Pirogues (flat-bottom wooden boats), Kerala: In Kerala people spend as much time on the sea as on the land. Every night boats are sent out to fish about a mile from the shore.Photograph: Philip PlissonKerala, India: Fisherman strain every sinew to haul their seine net ashore at Vizhinjam.Photograph: Philip PlissonMariquita, St Tropez, France: The Mariquita is one of the great yachts, created by a handful of talented men whose thousands of sketches dominated naval design from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Photograph: Philip PlissonPico Island, The Azores, Portugal: The ocean is strewn with islands of volcanic origin such as this.Photograph: Philip PlissonSan Blas, Panama: This archipelago is made up of 365 islands surrounded by coral reefs. The San Blas de Cuna Islands are the home of the Cuna, a traditional society of Native Americans. Photograph: Philip PlissonMont St Michel procession, France: On September 29 every year more than 3000 pilgrims brave the tides around Mont saint Michel.Photograph: Philip PlissonHalong Bay, Vietnam: In the strange scenery of Halong Bay, islands emerge in their thousands from the sea.Photograph: Philip PlissonWest coast of Brittany, France: Tevennec lighthouse was built in 1875 on a rock of land three miles from the Isle de Sein - it typifies the extreme solitude that the keepers had to endure for weeks on end. Photograph: Philip PlissonMonaco Classic Week: captured in 2005, five prestigious J class yachts, together with 30 motor and sailing yachts offer a site reminiscent of the golden age of yachting. Photograph: Philip PlissonFerry terminals in Manhattan, New York: Since their arrival in 1840, transatlantic liners were used to transport emigrants to the New World. The arrival of air travel put a stop to these regular crossings until the introduction of luxury cruises saw the liners converted and brought back into use.Photograph: Philip PlissonMystic Seaport, Connecticut, USA: Mystic Seaport is a maritime museum situated along the banks of the Mystic River in Connecticut. It is notable both for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the recreation of an entire 19th-century seaport, consisting of over 60 original buildings. Photograph: Philip PlissonChinese Nets, Fort Cochin, India: These traditional nets have been passed down through time and are named in memory of trade relations with China. Photograph: Philip Plisson
