Our Mission
Storytelling for Nature Protection
We are a community of scientists, storytellers, journalists and filmmakers who are dedicated to the wild, and specifically the Great African Seaforest.
We advocate for the healing of our planet by connecting people to nature through our science-based immersive storytelling.
“I need no convincing that an ecosystem such as this is of inestimable value & must be protected.”
Our Projects
Inspired by Nature
Supported by Science
Guided by Indigenous Wisdom
All our work is based on our connection to the Great African Seaforest. This underwater forest is a deep source of inspiration for our minds, souls and hearts. By sharing these experiences with the world, we hope to inspire a global movement of nature connection and more stories about the intrinsic relationship between humans and the living planet.
Films
World-class films are an integral part of our content. We tell immersive, personal stories about people and nature, to a global audience. Our films include the Netflix Original My Octopus Teacher; Older than Trees – a film about the future of sharks and rays, and our newest feature documentary on a very special pangolin, will launch on Netflix in April ‘25.
Books
Our Sea Change book has been republished as Underwater Wild, and we released a children’s book, A Journey Under the Sea. Craig Foster’s new book Amphibious Soul about “Finding the wild in a tame world,” based on his own ‘rewilding,’ is available to purchase.
Exhibitions
Sea Change Project collaborates on multimedia exhibitions that convey the story of our interconnectedness with the natural world. Showcasing the latest research on the origins of Homo sapiens while raising awareness for the Great African Seaforest and kelp forests worldwide. Visit the Origins exhibit in Cape Town and De Hoop Nature Reserve.
Education
Having a connection to nature is everyone’s birthright. It is often said we must leave a better planet to our future children but we need to also leave better children to become custodians of this living world and for that we need nature education. We are committed to sharing our love and knowledge of the Great African Seaforest, and nature as a whole, with as many people as we can reach to inspire a sea-change.
Science
Science guides all our work at Sea Change. We conduct biodiversity research and collaborate with academic institutions to uncover the secrets of the Great African Seaforest. Through our 1001 Seaforest Species project, you’ll encounter the extraordinary creatures of this underwater ecosystem and discover their remarkable stories. This project blends science, underwater tracking, and storytelling to illuminate the hidden world of the Seaforest.
Podcasts
Our podcast series Back to the Water, hosted by Zolani Mahola and Pippa Ehrlich, asks what it means to be disconnected from nature and one’s culture – and what happens when you reconnect. The first episode of Back to the Water, “More Than One Octopus” premiered at Tribeca Festival, winning in its category, and available on all podcast platforms.
PATRON & AMBASSADOR
Zolani Mahola
Vocalist, Actress & Nature Activist
Yo-Yo Ma
Cellist
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Protect the Great African Seaforest
Kelp forests are highly productive near-shore marine ecosystems. They are biodiversity hotspots, sequester carbon, release oxygen and slow coastal erosion. They are found on 30% of our world’s coastlines and are one of the most vulnerable marine ecosystems to the climate emergency.
Our first goal was to make the Great African Seaforest a global icon and bring attention to the world’s kelp forests. With your help and support following the success of My Octopus Teacher, we achieved this.
In this time of environmental upheaval and biodiversity loss, we need to keep ensuring the long-term protection of the Great African Seaforest. You can help by continuing to support our work in reminding people of their intrinsic connection with nature.
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We believe that the best thing we can do to protect the Great African Seaforest, and kelp forests globally, is to share their stories.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Protect & Take Action
Lack of knowledge and awareness, and our human impact on this planet, are at the root of all threats to the Great African Seaforest and our global kelp forests. We are in the ocean every day, learning the secrets of the seaforest and finding stories that inspire people to reconnect with nature.
We hope our stories, knowledge and love of this environment can remind us that we are part of the natural world and motivate action that allows the living planet to thrive and regenerate itself.
To help us ensure the long-term protection of the Great African Seaforest and to raise awareness for kelp forests globally, please watch, donate and share.
Social
In his latest book, Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World, Craig takes readers into Mother Nature’s blue heart, tracking animals that live in the Great African Seaforest and yearning to know their secrets. ‘There is no better feeling than to be in dialogue with the wild, to be able to speak the oldest language on earth,’ he says. Here, a patchwork cuttlefish invites Craig into its world, shapeshifting in colour and texture, its ancient mind a beautiful mystery.
Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World, published by HarperCollins, is now available in soft-cover.
‘After living for nearly 100 years on this planet, I now understand the most important place on earth is not on land, but at sea.’ — David Attenborough
#ocean #davidattenborough #seachangeproject #natureconnection #nature #biodiversity
‘On a few very rare occasions, I’ve been blessed to see this creature come in from the distant open ocean into the Great African Seaforest. Almost mythical in appearance, argonaut octopuses are pelagic animals who usually live in the water column. I’ve only seen females, who sculpt white shells as brood chambers for their eggs and fill them with a bubble of air for neutral buoyancy. Males are tiny in comparison and have no shell, and are able to detach their penis, which the female then carries until she is ready to use it to fertilise her eggs. Each female lays up to 150,000 eggs – and I was privileged to once witness miniature babies hatching.’ – Craig Foster
Pictures: Craig Foster
#greatafricanseaforest #argonaut #argonautoctopus #craigfoster #kelpforest #ocean #seachangeproject #myoctopusteacher
Today was a great day for our kelp forest, as Sea Change’s Jannes Landschoff and Chris van Melle Kamp took to the stage at the Ocean20 South Africa conference in Cape Town to shine a spotlight on these precious ecosystems. Using storytelling and science, Jannes introduced attendees to some of the animals that call the seaforest home, including the myriad endemic klipfish, with names like sad klipfish and snaky klipfish! Chris spoke to the need for a multidisciplinary approach to protecting kelp — one we hope comes to fruition.
Photo @helen_walne
@kelpforestalliance #IPOS #unglobalcompact #NRF-SAEON #ocean20 #ocean #greatafricanseaforest #seachangeproject #natureconnection #nature #kelpforest
#0007 Cape urchin (Parechinus angulosus)
These prickly characters – usually in purple, red or orange hues – are a common sight in the shallow waters of the Great African Seaforest. While in other parts of the world, urchins are often associated with kelp ‘deforestation’, Cape urchins play important roles in their community, including keeping kelp density in check through grazing, and protecting juvenile abalone that shelter under their spines. They’re also innovative, covering themselves with empty shells, algae or any suitable objects to serve as sunhats. Spotting a row of them wearing these always brings a smile.
Pictures: Jannes Landschoff
#1001 #capeurchin #marinescience #greatafricanseaforest #kelpforest #saveourseasfoundation #seachangeproject @saveourseasfoundation #1001species #1001seaforestspecies
The signs of human-induced climate change are all around us, yet large swathes of the global population are in denial of the facts. In our latest blog, Fallacies And Facts About Our Feverish Planet, Sea Change’s Swathi Thiyagarajan debunks the myths and provides scientific comebacks. Comment ‘Yes’ to get a DM of the full article.
Pictures: Sveta K, Nicky Newman, Elina Araja, Pixabay
#rememberyouarewild #seachangeproject #ClimateAction #climatechangeisreal
Illuminated with a torch on an overcast day, the colours of this reef in the Great African Seaforest are intensified, like a tumbling, neon garden.
Picture: @helen_walne
#greatafricanseaforest #rememberyouarewild #kelp #nature #natureconnection #anemones #urchins #ocean #wild
BREAKING (GOOD) NEWS: After weeks of intense negotiations, BirdLife South Africa (@birdlife_sa) and SANCCOB (@sanccob) have secured a historic victory for South Africa’s critically endangered African Penguin. The High Court in Pretoria has issued an order that provides for the delineations of no-take zones for the commercial sardine and anchovy fishery around six key breeding colonies. These closures will work together to secure foraging regions for the penguins — and hopefully bring them back from the brink of extinction.
#africanpenguins #africanpenguin #fishing #greatafricanseaforest
The relationship between human and animals is older than time itself. Of course, there are many versions of this story, but at the heart of things is a narrative of connection and interdependence. Whether we are exploring the lives of octopuses, otters, rocksuckers or hermit crabs, Sea Change strives to tell stories that connect humans to the living world.
Now, Pippa Ehrlich (@the_rewilding) , the director of My Octopus Teacher, along with Craig and Swati as executive producers, tell a terrestrial tale exploring the deep connection between a purpose-seeking human and a very special animal. In her new documentary, Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey, we meet Kulu, a baby pangolin rescued from traffickers during a sting in Johannesburg. Traumatised by his ordeal, Kulu is cared for by wildlife photographer Gareth Thomas @maverick_gareth , who finds new purpose rehabilitating him.
Stay tuned for the trailer… the film will be released on Netflix on April 21
Photo credit: Gareth Thomas, @maverick_gareth
Corné Van Niekerk @funnykerk
Moses Tau @dro_directorofphotography @africa_alive
This macro shot is of a megalopa, one of the later larval stages of a Cape rock crab just before it changes shape completely and is recognisable as its grown-up version. Unlike human babies, which have characteristics of their future selves, Cape rock crabs go through various larval looking nothing like their future selves. But unlike human babies, who learn how to move in slow increments, these little megalopas are instantly adept at getting around, swimming expertly in the shallow intertidal zone. The wild world is truly fascinating.
Picture: Craig Foster
#crabs #oceanlife #seachangeproject #thegreatafricanseaforest #capetown #kelpforests
The Great African Seaforest is a riot of colour, from glowing reds and shimmering blues to soft yellows and vivid pinks. Just the balm needed in a world that sometimes feels upside down.
photo @helen_walne
#kelp #kelpforests #seachangeproject #ocean
There is hidden life in the kelp forest. While this drifting compass jelly is what immediately draws the eye, a closer look shows a twirling trail of marks on the kelp. These belong to a kelp limpet that has been feeding on the surface of the stipe, which contains algae, microorganisms and parts of the kelp itself.
Picture: @helen_walne
#greatafricanseaforest #jellyfish #kelp #kelpforest #nature #rememberyouarewild #underwater #capetown #ecosystems #stipe #seachangeproject #myoctopusteacher
