To show the unparalleled beauty and majesty of the oceans and at the same time their vulnerability and frailty, have been the main objectives of every initiative that The Living Oceans has undertaken since its foundation. Our vision, philosophy, and motto are integrated in a single phrase: “protecting through images”.
Images become an extraordinary vehicle, with a unique power, which transcends any limit, and are capable of educating, transferring, impacting, and transmitting messages without words or accompanying texts. Since 2004 we have joined forces with the world most renowned underwater photographers and used this to bring thousands of people closer to the under sea world, having them go below without the need to dive. We trust each image would do its job, marveling, educating and generating consciousness, and in the process we believe, contributing to the care of the oceans.
Our Team
A challenging initiative needs a passionate crew
Message from our founder
When we started this crusade, we set off from a different perspective, as we realized that during the past few years it has been possible to establish a link between the oceans and people, that would reach further than the typical extractive or commercial viewpoints. However we also do accept that there is a tough reality from which we cannot escape, regardless of the incredible images we decide to share. That reality has to do with the state of emergency in which the oceans and their inhabitants find themselves. According to the Marine Living Planet Index estimated by the WWF, between 1970 and 2018 the marine fauna population including, mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes, have been reduced by 39%, meaning that nearly 40% of the marine life has been lost in the span of only 40 years. This rhythm is completely unsustainable for our planet, if we want to safeguard its future wellbeing.
The fact is we need to find an equilibrium, but to achieve it we need to first reconcile ourselves with the idea that 71% of our planet is covered by water. Concerning ourselves with caring for the oceans for future generations is not enough, there is no time left, there will be no second chance to recover that magnificent and unique blue space.
Oceans are perceived as vast, immense, and at first sight, indestructible, but they are fragile. Powerful sharks, tunas, whales, giant squid, sperm whales, manta rays, and orcas are, contrary to what many may think, fragile, very fragile. They are part of an intricate web of life, to which us fragile humans also belong and to which we must add thousands of magnificent animals, beautiful corals, and fishes that are rapidly disappearing from this universe we call the ocean.
There is still hope, but to succeed everything must rotate around a common cause. Even though it is difficult to accept, individual efforts are no longer enough, nor are expressions of preoccupation or prodigious speeches. We need action. We need governments working together, as well as the private sector, and civil society. Thoughtful reflection and the awareness of the extremes that we are conducting our planet to, must be joined to tangible and renewed actions to make life and humankind’s coexistence with the oceans sustainable.
Today, leaving the problem for future generations to solve is not an option. We have the moral duty to act and the opportunity to change the course of history.
-Bernardo Sambra-
