Our oceans are in jeopardy; threatened by plastic pollution and the effects of unsustainable fishing practices. Watch photographer Danielle Da Silva as she discovers how a small community in Mozambique is protecting endangered marine life through action, education and conservation, while empowering the local community through the development of sustainable ecotourism.

Love the Oceans (LTO) is a non-profit in Guinjata Bay, Mozambique that approaches ocean conservation with a bottom-up, community-led approach.  Through action, protection and education, LTO conserves diverse marine life, while empowering the local community through the development of sustainable ecotourism.

LTO is working towards establishing a Marine Protected Area to achieve biodiversity whilst protecting endangered species. Their ecotourism projects involve a volunteer program that works alongside their marine biologists doing research, community work and diving.

SUPPORT love the oceans

LTO is raising money to remove trash from the oceans. The trash in the Guinjata Bay area is over 90% plastics and will be removed from the oceans and beaches and re-purposed into ecobricks to be used in the community for a range of infrastructure, like walls at the local schools. Find out more about ecobricks and how you can get involved:

register for pwb school mozambique

Experience the impact of Love the Oceans firsthand while learning how to tell stories that create real, tangible change for the health of our oceans and marine life.

synopsis

We are taken to Guinjata Bay, Mozambique, a small community that is a haven for migrating whale sharks and humpback whales. This episode begins with Pascale, a local community member who works for Love the Oceans but used to be a fisherman trying to make ends meet. He talks about the poverty the community is facing.

Following the title sequence, we then move to photographer Danielle Da Silva who talks about why protecting the ocean is so important to her and why others should care. We then move to Francesca Trotman, marine biologist and founder of Love the Oceans, who talks about the wider issues around ocean conservation that need to be addressed.

We move back and forth from Pascale to other community members and experts and marine biologists in-training to Da Silva throughout the episode as the adventure unfolds and we learn more about the work of Love the Oceans and what they are doing to address the complexities surrounding creating a marine protected area. Towards the end, Danielle’s final images are unveiled.

CREDITS

Director: Danielle Da Silva

Director: Jeffrey Garriock

Cinematographer: Jeff Hester

Editor: Vik Panjwani

For media inquiries please contact Alicia Yee: alicia@photographerswithoutborders.org

FILM GRAPHICS