pangeaseed | humpback whales expedition

vav'au, tonga

The Pangeaseed Foundation expanded their incredible mission in 2016 with this inaugural expedition to the Kingdom of Tonga. Adventurers swam alongside humpback whales in the pristine waters of Vav'au, where mothers go to mate, give birth, and prepare their young calves for a migratory journey of over five thousand miles. Special thanks to the Kingdom of Tonga and the incredible crew of Endangered Encounters for making this experience possible. Learn more about Pangeaseed Foundation Expeditions at pangeaseed.org

music: WHALE - yellow ostrich
direction/edit: rebecca basaure
camera: andrea luengas + zippy

related links: pangeaseed

 

pangeaseed | humpback whales expedition

 

pangeaseed | whale sharks expedition

isla mujeres, mexico

colabs partnered with pangeaseed to document the 2016 whale shark expedition in isla mujeres, mexico. 

The boat pulled into what resembled Japan's famed Hachiko Crossing on a Monday rush hour but for massive pelagic life - over 100 whale sharks, 30 breaching oceanic manta rays, schools of devils rays diving deep and two pods of dolphins all in the mix of Pacha Mama's plankton stew.

In the past 50 years, humans have turned the tables on the oceans. It is feared that sharks could possibly become extinct in the next decade or two. Many shark populations have declined by as much as 90%. Of the all shark species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 110 are classified as endangered, threatened or vulnerable. Sharks now represent the greatest percentage of threatened marine species on the IUCN Red List. Despite these mass declines in shark populations, only four shark species included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulations are protected internationally.

swimming with the whale sharks is an attempt to document the current population and raise awareness for the causes of the dwindling population: overfishing, climate change, coral bleaching and ocean acidification. 

related links: pangeaseed