Big Deep - An Ocean Podcast

In today's episode, I speak with Susan Casey, New York Times bestselling author and journalist, whose work focuses primarily on the intersection of human beings and the ocean.

Susan started as a journalist, becoming a national magazine award winner and editor-in-chief of O Magazine, creative director at Outside Magazine, and editor-at-large for Time Magazine.

But it was her books that really caught my attention, especially her latest, The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean, which explores the deepest parts of the oceans through the people who journey there. 

The deepest trenches of the ocean fascinate me, as I love the idea of the unknown, especially when it lies in the environment I love the most. So unsurprisingly, a thirst for understanding the unseen parts of our world's oceans often parallels the sense of deeper personal exploration, as it does with Susan. 

So we spoke about a recurring dream from childhood that may have started her fascination with water, what drives human beings on the journey of the unknown, And a profound moment she had on her first dive into the depths of the oceans of our world. 

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In today's episode, I speak with award-winning author, film producer, and underwater photographer Pier Nirandara.

Pier's connection to the ocean started as a young girl growing up in Bangkok, Thailand, with weekend family trips to a nearby beach house. Her time there sparked an interest in storytelling, which led her to writing a trilogy of novels about mermaids when she was just 15 years old.  And, remarkably, all three novels went on to be number one national bestsellers in Thailand. From there, her path took her to college in the US and a successful career as a film producer at studios in Hollywood.

But her connection to the ocean never left her and I first heard about her in an article in the Hollywood Reporter about a private dive club she had started for studio executives in the entertainment industry, which she called Hollywood Sharks. So I reached out to Pier and she responded immediately, as she was always open to raising awareness around the world's oceans. And of course, the interview was fantastic. 

Pier was thoughtful, funny, and kind, and over the course of our interview, Pier discussed where she initially found that connection with the water, the surprising parallels between aspects of the world's oceans and her inspiration for literature, and an unexpected life-changing moment she had in a sardine run off the coast of South Africa.

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In today's episode I speak with Jamal Galves, program director at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and National Geographic Explorer and Edge Fellow.

Jamal's work focuses particularly on the Antillean manatee of his native Belize. Jamal's passion for marine wildlife runs deep and, in particular, his connection to manatees reaches back to when he was a kid, growing up in the rough, impoverished neighborhoods of coastal Belize. 

We spoke from his home in Belmopan, the capital of Belize, and Jamal spoke about how a chance encounter with a research vessel started his interest in marine conservation, how that led directly to his work at the incredible Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute in Belmopan, and how his first interaction with manatees shaped the course of the rest of his life.

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In today's episode, I speak with Cash Daniels, an ocean and river conservationist, Time Magazine honorary finalist as "Kid of the Year," and co-founder of the ocean activism and conservation nonprofit called The Cleanup Kids.

Cash had been a big fan of the show for a while, but, as someone being so engaged in ocean conservation at such a young age, I felt Cash's story was impressive and thought he might make an excellent guest. And, as it turns out, I was right, as he was thoughtful, well-spoken, and deeply driven to help other kids realize they can make a difference. 

But beyond that, as the father of a young boy myself, I found myself inspired as he represented the next generation of kids getting involved. 

So when I spoke with Cash last year, he told me a bit about how he first felt a connection with the ocean, why we need to bring more attention to the world's rivers, and the time he connected with sharks off the coast of Florida.

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In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Alex Hearn, a marine ecologist at the Universidad de San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador.

Alex's work is focused on marine conservation in and around the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of South America, which is part of Ecuador. Alex is one of the scientists working to establish the Galapagos Marine Reserve, one of the world's largest underwater areas dedicated to protecting migratory pathways through the deep ocean.

This oceanic highway for marine life, as it's sometimes called, creates a corridor where endangered migratory species such as sharks, whales, turtles, and manta rays can travel without fear of illegal fishing. 

So, unsurprisingly, I found Alex to be very down to earth and rooted in a deep love for the ocean, and we discussed how he first connected to the ocean a remarkable personal connection to a deceased friend while tagging lobsters, and where he finds meanings in the oceans off the Galapagos.

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In today's episode, I speak with explorer, ocean activist, and television journalist, Kinga Philipps.

Kinga was one of the founding journalists and hosts of Al Gore's Current TV and since has gone on to host several shows on National Geographic and Travel Channel, most recently becoming the first female host on Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

However, I was interested in talking to Kinga because of her deeper passion for ocean advocacy. This has led to her becoming a fellow at the prestigious Explorers Club, and becoming a Board Member of the non-profit Shark Allies, which works for the protection and conservation of sharks and rays. 

Kinga is also an avid freediver, and she spoke about how she first discovered her passion for the ocean on the shores of the Baltic Sea, discussed what she found to be the more spiritual aspects of being in the water, and described a profound moment with her sister swimming alongside a whale shark off the coast of central Mexico.

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In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Madeline McAllister, senior Curator of Maritime Archaeology at the Queensland Museum and James Cook University in Townsville, Australia.

Dr McAllister, or Maddy as she's called, focuses her work on historic shipwrecks and underwater archaeology in Australasia, with a special interest in shipwrecks on the Great Barrier Reef. And this comes as no surprise as her offices look out over the water in eastern Australia, where the Great Barrier Reef lies just offshore.

I find maritime archaeology fascinating as it lies at the nexus of history and the ocean, two of my passions. But it takes a good storyteller to make those lost shipwrecks engaging, nd Maddy's enthusiasm and sense of humor brought the ideas of maritime archaeology to life.

And so Maddy talked about how her grandfather had a deep impact on her life's path in the ocean, a moment where everything seemed to come together as she dove a wreck called the Rapid in Western Australia on Ningaloo Reef, and how underwater archaeology can inform our understanding of human society far beyond the water.

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In today's episode, I speak with Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira, one of the most famous female surfers in the world.

Maya is a seven-time world champion in the World Surf League and a two-time world record holder for the largest wave surfed, including in 2020, where she surfed the biggest wave of the year for both men and women combined.

Beyond that, and perhaps as no surprise, she is also deeply committed to ocean conservation and is a board member of Oceana and a UNESCO champion for the ocean. Maya was also featured in the HBO series 100-Foot Wave, which chronicled a group of surfers surfing the waves at Nazaré, Portugal, perhaps the biggest and most challenging wave on the planet.

As part of that journey, she had a terrifying and very high-profile crash where she was knocked unconscious by a huge wave at Nazaré, broke her leg, and almost drowned. 

And yet, with all of that, I found Maya to be down-to-earth, humble and almost shy, with a wonderful sense of humor, And we discussed how she first discovered surfing in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro off Copacabana Beach, Why she was driven to such an extreme relationship with the ocean and what it feels like to skip down the face of one of the largest waves on the planet.

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In today's episode, I speak with South African edible ocean and landscape forager Roushanna Gray.

When I first heard of Roushanna's unique take on eating from the wild landscape, I was intrigued, particularly as it related to her deep dive into the seaweed off her local coast in Cape Town. I was interested in her foraging with the over 900 edible seaweeds found in South Africa's intertidal rock pools.

But, maybe unsurprisingly, what came out of our interview that interested me was less about what she did and more about why she did it, and I found her way of talking and relating to the ocean to verge on the magical, and it was exhilarating.

And this view has now led Roushanna to teaching this way of foraging and cooking with the edible landscape around her through her immersive culinary school, Veld and Sea. And when we did our interview, Roushanna spoke openly about the journey to having her eyes open to the edible landscape in the sea around her, what it meant to have your passion for the ocean connect with discovering a sense of purpose in her own life, and a largely unremarkable free dive in South Africa that ultimately unloved the mysteries of the ocean for her.

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In today's episode, I speak with explorer, renowned ichthyologist and deep coral reef pioneer, Richard Pyle. Richard's life story has been one of adventure and exploration, particularly a fascination with deep coral reefs far below where most recreational divers dive.

And this points to a deeper aspect of Richard's personality, a part I resonated with, which is challenging and rethinking deeply held assumptions about our world.

Because of this, he is now seen as a true pioneer, evidenced in a popular TED talk he did about the deep reefs, which he calls the Twilight Zone. 

So came as no surprise that Richard was engaging, energetic and full of life, And we spoke about how his family first saw his connection to fish when he was just a little baby, his unexpected path to a groundbreaking career and a seminal dive experience he had with a prehistoric fish the world knows as the coelacanth. 

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