Rays of hope for Lofoten / Uniting against oil drilling in Norway’s fjords

Orcas come to the fjords surrounding Lofoten in Norway, to feed on the abundant herring · Paul Nicklen

Almost everywhere, the pace of degradation is frightening. Intense overfishing is punctuated by what has become the norm: pollution, industrial expansion, and careless development.

Orcas hunt for herring in Norway’s Andfjorden. Members of the pod coordinate their moves, herding a mass of herring into a manageable ball. They then whip their tails against the ball, stunning or killing the fish · Paul Nicklen

As orcas get in place around a school of herring, they stay in close contact with calls, whistles, and echolocation clicks · Paul Nicklen

The government recognized the vital role that herring play in providing jobs and nourishment to so many, as well as the iconic cultural status that the species holds for the Norse people, and so invested in protecting the fish.

After herring at the edge have been stunned, orcas feed, not taking big gulps of the fish, but picking them off one by one · Paul Nicklen

A humpback whale fin surfaces in the northern fjords of Norway · Paul Nicklen

Humpback whales rise from the depths of Norway’s fjords with power and grace · Paul Nicklen

Progress must continue, but not at the cost of life on Earth. What we do or fail to do in the next ten years to preserve the ocean’s ability to provide vital ecological services — like releasing oxygen, absorbing carbon, and supplying food — may be the most important thing we do for the next 10,000 years.

A huge male orca surges out of the dark water at magic hour in the fjords of northern Norway · Paul Nicklen

The path ahead is not an easy one. In the fjords of Lofoten, the courage of young people has changed the future. In the “iskant,” the government has bowed to the oil industry.

An adult male orca in the deep waters of the Andfjorden. Their tall dorsal fins distinguish them from females · Cristina Mittermeier

Contributors

Cristina Mittermeier

Co-founder, SeaLegacy & Only One

Born in Mexico, Cristina Mittermeier is a marine biologist, photographer, and writer known for her use of powerful and emotive imagery to propel conservation efforts. For the past 25 years, her work has centered on the delicate balance between human well-being and healthy ecosystems. Cristina is the co-founder of SeaLegacy, a nonprofit invested in the health and sustainability of the ocean, and of Only One.

Paul Nicklen

Co-founder, SeaLegacy & Only One

Co-founder of SeaLegacy and Only One, Paul Nicklen is a Canadian-born photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist specializing in polar ecosystems. He has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over 30 years, creating an emotional connection with wild subjects in extreme conditions. For 20 years, Paul has been an assignment photographer for National Geographic.

Ina Libak

Norweigan politician

Ina Libak is a politician and activist who leads Norway’s largest political youth organization, Workers' Youth League (AUF). Over a period of 10 years, Ina contributed to the successful campaign to stop oil drilling and exploration in the Norwegian fjords of Lofoten.

Petitions to regulate fishing

Urge the EU Commission to Ban Destructive Fishing in Protected Waters

Call on Ireland’s Government to Protect its Seas

Stop the Cruel Dolphin and Whale Hunts in the Faroe Islands

Projects in #Wildlife

Preserving lowland peat swamp forests and mangroves in Indonesian Borneo

Village communities are saving forests and wetlands that are one of the largest natural carbon stores in the world, as well as protecting and rehabilitating critically endangered orangutans.

Project·8 min read

Growing maricultured corals in Indonesia

Reef education specialists are planting 20,000 corals grown in rope-and-rack nurseries to restore ocean habitats and build on locally led marine innovation.

Project·5 min read

Rebuilding the reef in French Polynesia

Island innovators are restoring 40,000 “super corals” to the reef to save wildlife habitat and spread global awareness.

Project·4 min read

Short films

MY 25: The Ocean Between Us

MY 25: The Ocean Between Us is an authored short film switching between memories and reality to tell an intimate story of how our ocean has changed from the perspective of multiple generations. The film follows producer and director Inka Creswell and her personal relationship with the ocean as she dives into the threats that face our ocean today and shows how much has changed in just her lifetime. From traditional fishing practices to state-of-the-art wet labs and coral restoration work, we will see how there is still time to change the fate of our ocean, and the importance of learning from different cultures and generations in the fight to conserve our ocean. It is a story of resilience, a story of hope — but ultimately a call to action for us to decide what legacy we want to leave behind for our children.

Video·15:00

Coral Lights

Filled with life and vibrant colors, coral reefs are some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, built by small yet amazing creatures. One quarter of our ocean’s life depends on them — and they depend on us. Coral Lights is a film in favor of ocean conservation, designed to motivate and inspire people to deepen their commitment to the natural world in hopes of creating advocates for the sea.

Video·04:40

Collecting Evidence of Connectivity in Cocos

Cocos Island, part of a long underwater mountain ridge that connects with Galápagos — and one of a handful of marine protected areas in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape — attracts enormous aggregations of endangered wildlife like sharks, turtles, and whales. However, as soon as these species exit the marine reserve during their extensive migration along underwater mountain ranges, they become vulnerable to illegal, unregulated, and unsustainable fishing practices. In an unprecedented discovery by an international group of scientists, the need to create a fully protected marine “superhighway” that connects the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Cocos Island National Park and Galápagos Marine Reserve is made clear. Their findings underscore that we have much to learn about nature, and that effective conservation transcends national boundaries.

Video·6:30