[imagesource:Save Our Seas Foundation]

South Africa’s Great African Seaforest, which stretches north for more than 1,000 km into Namibia, is a wonderland of abundance and rich biodiversity and home to many creatures found nowhere else in the world.

According to award-winning National Geographic photographer and Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) Director of Storytelling, Thomas Peschak, it’s also the birthplace of more conservation storytellers per capita than almost anywhere else on Earth.

Peschak’s 25-year journey documenting Earth’s coastlines began in this epicentre of ocean storytelling, and the seaforest has launched the careers of numerous other talented filmmakers and photographers whose jaw-dropping footage has captured the imaginations of millions worldwide.

As a marine biologist who turned to photojournalism to broaden his conservation impact, Peschak spent much of his career documenting marine species. In 2022, he embarked on his most ambitious conservation storytelling project to date. Shifting his focus from the Seaforest to the Amazon Forest, Peschak spent 396 days tracing the course of the Amazon River and its tributaries across South America.

In a one-night-only presentation at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town, Peschak recently shared incredible footage and stories collected over the years, including his Amazon adventure, which spanned nine countries. His exploits include diving and photographing a watershed that stretches from 6,000-meter-high snow-capped Andean volcanoes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Jade Schultz, Global Communications Manager of SOSF, shares her thoughts: “Thomas is a world-class storyteller. It’s great to collaborate with him again and share his latest inspiring body of work here in Cape Town, where both Thomas and the Save Our Seas Foundation have strong roots.”

Joining the evening’s lineup was Dr. Jannes Landschoff from the Sea Change Project. Deeply inspired by the seaforest, he shared insights from the SOSF-supported 1001 Seaforest Species initiative. Highlighting the extraordinary biodiversity of the Great African Seaforest.

Dr. Landschoff explored how every species—from tiny crustaceans and fascinating fishes to visiting whales—plays a vital role in this vast marine ecosystem. Through underwater tracking, research collaborations, and storytelling, the initiative aims to inspire a deep appreciation for biodiversity and its critical role in restoring the health of our planet.

Science offers a fascinating window into the natural world, and when combined with storytelling, it profoundly impacts how we see ourselves in relation to the world. The evening’s talks concluded with a panel discussion led by Steve Benjamin, a zoologist, marine guide and photographer.

The event included other Cape Town-based storytellers whose stories have gone beyond the seaforests, onto the international stage. These photographers and filmmakers shared their stories and helpful insights from their journey to becoming international storytellers, in the hopes of inspiring the next generation.

The panel included: Pippa Ehrlich, co-director of My Octopus Teacher; Shamier Magmoet, a National Geographic Explorer, documentary filmmaker, and ocean conservationist; Roger Horrocks, an underwater cinematographer for My Octopus Teacher, Blue Planet 2, and Our Planet; Otto Whitehead, a storyteller and ecologist. 

“We are so fortunate to have such talented ocean storytellers right here in Cape Town, and the Save Our Seas Foundation is honoured to host these global storytelling superstars for the panel.”

For knowledge to translate into effective, meaningful change, we must communicate through engaging stories and the event aimed to promote a more diverse, inclusive community of storytellers by inspiring others to follow their career path dreams and providing actionable lessons to get started.

For more information, check out Thomas’ website, or visit the Save Our Seas Foundation.

[source:Save Ours Seas Foundation]