OCEAN ADVOCACY
Protecting What Inspires Us
The ocean has shaped my life in countless ways. Every dive reminds me that we are visitors in an extraordinary ecosystem that deserves both our respect and our protection.
I am proud to support marine conservation initiatives, including the Madagascar Whale Shark Project. In 2019 I spent a month in Nosy Be as a volunteer with the project and it changed my relationship with the ocean permanently.
Through speaking, storytelling and collaboration, I hope to encourage greater awareness of our relationship with the sea and inspire more people to value and protect the environments that give us so much.
Conservation begins with connection - and every story has the power to deepen that connection.
Madagascar Whale Shark Project
Photos by Madagascar Whale Shark Project, Vincent Bourdin
Whale sharks are the largest fish on earth and one of the most threatened. Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2016, they face plastic pollution, boat strikes, bycatch and the effects of climate change. In the waters around Nosy Be, Madagascar, they are known as marokintana, meaning many stars, and the area has become one of the most significant aggregation sites for the species on a global level.
The Madagascar Whale Shark Project was founded in 2016 to study and protect this population, working alongside local communities, tourism operators and marine scientists. I spent a month with the project contributing to data collection and spending time in the water alongside these extraordinary animals.
To follow the project's work, support their research or adopt a whale shark: madawhalesharks.org