“The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble” … . . Blaise Pascal . . . The oceans are Mother Earth’s ‘last great wilderness’. These open seas constitute a vast biotope covering more than two thirds of the planet’s surface, but man knows less about the underwater world here than they do of Antarctica. To put things in perspective, a mere 19% of the seabed has been charted, leaving an area twice the size of Mars to still be surveyed (the Nippon Foundation - GEBCO Seabed Project hope to achieve this by 2030). . . Within this vast seascape, untold marine species exist, ranging from microscopic krill to gargantuan whales which, unfathomably, feed on them. Despite the unimaginable immensity of this complex and diverse ecosystem, the ocean is under increasing threat from mankind. As Pascal observed, ‘everything is interconnected’, so every piece of plastic you discard, ends up here as ocean pollution ... . . A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join the eminent ocean conservationist, @lewis.pugh, on a project where he helped @sanccob to release a number of rehabilitated Cape gannets into the #BigBlue of False Bay. His @lewispughfdn states: “Life as we know it first began in the oceans and all life fundamentally relies on them. The oceans have their own intrinsic value and have a right to be just as they have evolved over millennia: in perfect balance". . . What a privilege to photograph this minute segment of their remarkable #conservation effort & to experience the instinctual drive of these seabirds to be reunited with the ocean. Also, huge thanks to @davehurwitz and his @simonstown_boat_company for ferrying us onto a perfectly glassy Atlantic Ocean for the release. . . #SANCCOB #SeabirdRescue #LewisPughFoundation #simonstown #staysimonstown #playsimonstown (at Simonstown.com) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCKF-FeJL3x/?igshid=2yb6q1rukp3a