SeaLegacy is back and continuing The Voyage aboard SeaLegacy 1, a boat specifically built for documenting life above and below the water's surface. Leading the journey are documentary photographers and filmmakers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier, who are also the co-founders of SeaLegacy. In this video, Nicklen, Mittermeier and the crew visit Baja California Sur. “It’s one of the richest marine habitats in the world. It has hundreds of thousands of rays. It is such a rich place,” explains Nicklen. Watch as they explore the area and discuss what they can do to protect it. Stay tuned to the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel for more.
Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier and crew are back onboard the SeaLegacy 1 with a new mission to protect the Southern Gulf of California.
While the area is rich in marine wildlife, it is also heavily fished by the commercial fishing industry. “They exploit the resources of the gulf of California. More like a mining resource instead of a living thing,” says Mittermeier. The crew meets to discuss what they can do utilizing their skills to help the area.
“We already knew back in the 1980s that this place needed help,” explains Mittermeier. “I had already heard stories about this mythical man, Mario Gomez. He was the man behind this idea of creating a biosphere reserve. He knew that SeaLegacy could play a critical role in helping his organization, Beta Diversidad, push this idea across the finish line.”
The neighboring areas have already depleted the fishing grounds, and Gomez wants to create a fully protected biosphere reserve all around the Baja peninsula. “This is a very important region and people around the world and around Mexico do not know the value of this area,” Gomez explains in the video. “In order to get a designation, we need to be really strategic. We need keyplayers, experts. SeaLegacy is an expert in doing communication, experts in conservation to show the Mexicans and the world that this is a place with a lot of power. You’re going to have to touch the hearts and the feelings of everyone.”
Stay tuned to the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel as SeaLegacy takes on this massive mission to get content of the area’s most charismatic creatures. “If we can protect the Southern Gulf of California to create a biosphere reserve so that tourism and small fisheries can thrive," says Mittermeier, "I think that’s a really good thing."
