News
Holidays beneath the waves inspired by the BBC’s new Blue Planet II series
Some 16 years after the ground-breaking first series hit our screens, the BBC’s Blue Planet is set to return this autumn. Once again hosted by Sir David Attenborough, the new seven-part series will reveal further mysteries of the world’s oceans and the fascinating, and sometimes bizarre, creatures that inhabit them. For those inspired by the programme, leading tour operator Dive Worldwide offers a ‘shoal’ of trips to locations featured in the show, allowing viewers the chance to replicate the action they see on screen.
Blue Planet II breaks barriers in the world of wildlife filming. From capturing erupting underwater volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico to the depths of the Antarctic Ocean, and using new technology such as suction cameras on the back of orcas and whale sharks, this is an immersive series, and one that is sure to top the 12 million viewers of the original series, back in 2001.
As featured in Blue Planet II…
Dolphins in South Africa
Sure to be one of the series’ iconic sequences is the incredible footage of dolphins surfing in South Africa. For those looking to spend time with these intelligent animals in the Rainbow Nation, there isn’t a finer trip than the Sardine Run Adventure. Each June a shoal of millions of sardines migrate down the KwaZulu Natal coastline, prompting the greatest feeding frenzy on earth, with dolphins, sharks, orcas and whales all after a slice of the action. Guests spend five days following the shoal and diving and snorkelling with its plethora of wildlife.
Price: from £2,675pp sharing including return international flights, all transfers, seven nights’ B&B accommodation, two dives at Aliwal Shoal and five days’ Sardine Run Action.
Whale Sharks in the Galapagos
Blue Planet II will use suction cameras attached to the back of whale sharks to offer amazing creature-eye-view footage, never seen before on television. To experience this same viewpoint first hand, dive with whale sharks on a Galapagos Liveaboard. Whale sharks are frequent visitors to the archipelago, typically visiting between June and December and, as was recently discovered, often while pregnant. Other species to spot include schools of hammerhead and silky sharks and manta rays.
Price: from £5,745pp sharing including 1 night in Guayaquil, 7 nights’ liveaboard accommodation, all meals, up to 20 dives, transfers and return flights from the UK.
Giant Cuttlefish in South Australia
Film-makers captured giant cuttlefish in Australia gathering in their thousands for their annual mating aggregation. For those looking to witness these curious creatures first hand, it is best to head to South Australia. Joining an extended liveaboard expedition beginning on the Neptune Islands, divers will experience the thrill of a cage dive with great white sharks, see sea dragons and sea lions along the leafy coastline, and at the upper Spencer’s Gulf see the amazing giant cuttlefish themselves, in what is one of nature’s most flamboyant mating ceremonies.
Price: from £3,435pp sharing, including 9 nights’ FB liveaboard accommodation, 9 days’ diving with tanks and weights and transfers. Voyage only. Flights extra.
Unusual Octopuses
The new series features incredible footage showing the sophisticated hunting techniques of the reef octopus and, for fans of the weird and wonderful, Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait is the jewel in the diving crown. On the Walls, Schools & Critters itinerary, guests will spend a week each in Bunaken and Lembeh, enjoying up to three dives per day.
Price: from £2,975pp sharing, including 14 nights’ FB accommodation, 12 days of diving, tanks and weights, transfers and return flights from the UK.
Sperm Whales and their Calves
Viewers inspired by the series’ sperm whale and her calf should head to Dominica. This Caribbean island is the only country in the world where sperm whales can be seen all year round, as the juveniles and females do not migrate. On the Discover Dominica trip, guests will combine whale watching with diving and dip beneath the waves at the spectacular Champagne Reef. There’s also the chance to head inland and hike to waterfalls and a boiling lake, to appreciate why Dominica is known as the ‘Nature Island’.
Price: from £1,795pp based on 2 sharing, including 7 nights’ B&B accommodation, 5 days of activities, transfers and return flights from the UK.
The Depths of Antarctica
Filmed using manned submersibles, the Antarctica episode focuses on the deep oceans surrounding the White Continent. For adventures closer to the surface the Classic Antarctica trip offers diving in the icy water, kayaking around Wienche Island and wildlife watching of the continent’s penguins and whales, among other wildlife. Staying aboard a specially-designed polar vessel, guests will enjoy talks from a knowledgeable naturalist each evening bringing the continent’s wildlife to life. Price: from £5,695pp sharing, including 10 nights’ FB liveaboard accommodation, shore excursions, activities and talks by naturalists. Voyage only, flights extra.
For further information contact Dive Worldwide (diveworldwide.com, 01962 302 087).
The Ocean Cleanup, the global non-profit project, has removed a verified all-time total of ten million kilograms (22 million lbs.) of trash from oceans and rivers around the world – approximately the same weight as the Eiffel Tower.
To complete its mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup uses a dual strategy: cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) to remove the plastic already afloat in the oceans, while stopping the flow of plastic from the world’s most polluting rivers.
Through cleaning operations in the GPGP and in rivers in eight countries, the cumulative total of trash removed has now surpassed ten million kilograms. This milestone demonstrates the acceleration of The Ocean Cleanup’s impact, while underlining the astonishing scale of the plastic pollution problem and the need for continued support and action.
While encouraging for the mission, this milestone is only a staging point: millions more tons of plastic still pollute our oceans and The Ocean Cleanup intends to continue learning, improving and innovating to solve this global catastrophe.
This announcement comes as governments from around the world meet to continue negotiations to develop a new legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution at INC4 in Ottawa, Canada. Representatives of The Ocean Cleanup will be in attendance and the organization will be urging decision-makers to collaborate towards a comprehensive and ambitious global treaty which addresses plastic at all stages of its life cycle and in all marine environments worldwide, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
It is encouraging to see that the need for remediation is reflected in the various options for potential treaty provisions. It is essential that the final treaty contains clear targets for the remediation of legacy plastic pollution, and reduction of riverine plastic emissions.
Tackling plastic pollution requires innovative and impactful solutions. The treaty should therefore incentivize the innovation ecosystem by fostering innovations that make maximal use of data, technology and scientific knowledge – such as those designed and deployed by The Ocean Cleanup.
‘After many tough years of trial and error, it’s amazing to see our work is starting to pay off – and I am proud of the team who has brought us to this point.’ said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. ‘While we still have a long way to go, our recent successes fill us with renewed confidence that the oceans can be cleaned.’
The Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2013 and captured its first plastic in 2019, with the first confirmed catch in the GPGP coming soon after the deployment of Interceptor 001 in Jakarta, Indonesia. After surpassing one million kilograms of trash removed in early 2022, the non-profit project has since progressed to the third iteration of its GPGP cleaning solution, known as System 03, and a network of Interceptors currently covering rivers in eight countries, with more deployments set for 2024.
About The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: stemming the inflow via rivers and cleaning up the legacy plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
For more information, visit: theoceancleanup.com and follow @theoceancleanup on social media.
Marine Life & Conservation
Steve Backshall to headline Shark Trust’s flagship event: For the Love of Sharks
Join a host of amazing, shark loving, speakers including Steve Backshall and the Shark Trust team for an evening celebrating shark conservation at the Royal Geographical Society in London this November.
Date: 29th November 2024
Time: 6-10pm
Location: Royal Geographical Society, London
Tickets: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
The event will be a celebration of all things shark. Those lucky enough to get hold of tickets will hear from engaging guest speakers with a passion for sharks.
The line-up includes (*subject to change if unforeseen circumstances arise)
Steve Backshall: One of television’s busiest presenters, BAFTA award-winning wildlife expert Steve has been passionate about the wild world ever since he was young.
Steve’s impressive TV career has taken him all around the world, investigating a wide array of species and environments. Steve has filmed over 100 hours of children’s wildlife programmes with the BAFTA award winning Deadly 60 franchise and recently, with Sky Nature, for his new series ‘Whale with Steve Backshall’. He has been a patron for the Shark Trust for 10 years.
Simon Rogerson: is a photojournalist specialising in natural history, diving and the sea.
He is editor of SCUBA magazine, the official journal of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Simon started his career as a crime reporter but gravitated towards his ‘less depressing’ interest in underwater exploration, joining the staff of DIVE magazine in 1999. In 2005 he was named ‘Editor of the Year’ in the PPA’s Independent Publishing Awards. Simon also works as a freelance writer, contributing frequently to the Sunday Times and Telegraph, in addition to BBC Wildlife, Esquire, and a host of international diving magazines. He is the author of a book, Dive Red Sea, published by Ultimate Sports. Now based in Berkshire, Simon has been a Patron of the Shark Trust for 20 years.
More speakers to be announced soon. Head to the Shark Trust website to learn more.
The evening will also allow guests the final chance to see the Oceanic 31, shark art exhibition. Some of the artwork will be auctioned/raffled at the event, while the rest will be auctioned online to raise money for the Shark Trust Oceanic Programme.
For the Love of Sharks is an evening with something for everyone who is interested and fascinated by sharks. Join the Shark Trust, their Patrons, Trustees and Staff, along with a host of supporters for this celebration of shark conservation.
For more information or to buy a ticket: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
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