The ship goes down and the professor, Conseil, and their whaler friend Ned Land, are taken out to sea, only to find salvation on the back of the thing they were looking for. But after searching endlessly for a monster, they see something: it's large and glowing, and then slams into their vessel's (the Abraham Lincoln) side.

Professor Arronax and his assistant Conseil are asked to join the expedition, due to the professor's expertise in nautical organisms. Many believe it to be a large whale or narwhal, but when the 'monster' appears too big to ignore, a expedition is sent out to find it. Rumor of a sea monster has spread around the world when several ships are sunk. Written from the perspective of Professor Pierre Arronax, it is a classic that has stood the test of time. In it Verne depicts a submarine with technologies that weren't seen until decades later (Or not even created yet). Published in 1870, it is thought of today as perhaps Jules Verne's greatest work.

Thus, the book has been able to age well because of its scientific theories, unlike some other of Verne's works, like Journey to the Center of the Earth, which are not scientifically accurate and serve more simply as adventure novels. The description of Nemo's ship, the Nautilus, was considered ahead of its time, as it accurately describes features on submarines, which at the time were very primitive vessels. The book was highly acclaimed when released and still is now it is regarded as one of the premiere adventure novels and one of Verne's greatest works, along with Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The deluxe illustrated edition, published by Hetzel in November 1871, included 111 illustrations by Alphonse de Neuville and Édouard Riou. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-Jules Hetzel's periodical, the Magasin d’Éducation et de Récréation. On the Nautilus, the three embark on an undersea journey which takes them around the world. It tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus, as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre Aronnax after he, his servant Conseil, and Canadian whaler Ned Land wash up on their ship. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (French: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers: Tour du monde sous-marin, literally 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World') is a classic science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne published in 1870.

1 000 leagues under the sea