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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

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. Support the Show.

In today's episode, I speak with maritime archeologist, historian, author, television host, and explorer Jim Delgado. Jim's work has taken him around the globe, and he has known is one of the world's foremost experts in underwater archeology. And his CV reads almost like the greatest history of that field. He started with the National Park Service in San Francisco, then went on to work for NOAA as the Director of Maritime Heritage, was Executive Director of the Canadian Maritime Museum, and headed the Institute of Nautical Archeology. At the same time, he was a TV host for Discovery, History Channel, A&E, and National Geographic. Most recently in 2017, he left to become a senior vice president at Search Incorporated, a maritime archeology company. That was one of the leads on the recent discovery of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance. But beyond all the titles. When I spoke with Jim, I found him to be super fun to talk to, as he was an excellent storyteller. And he spoke about his beginnings as a teenage amateur archeologist, the reason why maritime archeology initially caught his attention, and what it was like to be the lead science officer on the most well-known shipwreck exploration of all time. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In this episode, iconic freediver Mehgan Heaney-Grier. Mehgan's life story is wildly eclectic and has elements that originally attracted me, particularly its sense of rugged individualism and carving your own path. As a teenager and underwater model, she was a pioneer as she set the first U.S. freedive record for both men and women in the constant-weight category. And this earned her a place as one of the original inductees and the youngest ever at the time of induction to the Women Divers Hall of Fame. From there, she went on to perform underwater stunts for Hollywood films, such as Pirate of the Caribbean and Into the Blue, and was recruited by Discovery Channel and starred in their original series Treasure Quest: Snake Island. And all of this culminated in her recent membership as a Fellow in the Explorers Club. But over the past few years, I've also gotten to know Meghan personally, and she is kind, fun, and very thoughtful. And when we spoke, she talked a little bit about how she went from being a Minnesota lake girl to an ocean advocate, the crazy bootstrap story of how she set her own record, and an amazing moment freediving with a group of jacks. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Steve Gittings, chief science officer for NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. In addition to overseeing science at all 14 United States Marine sanctuaries, and being on numerous boards for ocean environmental organizations, he lives one of the most eclectic lives I know. As an example, he spent time recording and studying humpback whale songs off Hawaii with National Geographic photographer, Flip Nicklin; became a self-identified garage-ineer as he created a deep water trap for invasive lionfish; and he's even spent substantial time as an underwater aquanaut in the undersea research center, Aquarius. He's even recently become a member of the Explorers Club after being nominated by none other than Sylvia Earl. But even with that resume, the reason I did this interview with Steve was because he is just one of the best guys you could meet, and we spent a few nights carousing in a dive industry convention, and just kind of hit it off. When we finally did our interview, Steve spoke about where his deep passion for the ocean started, why he loves piloting submarines, and an incredible evening dive off Little Cayman to watch a massive grouper spawn. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In today's episode, I speak with Doug Anderson, considered to be one of the world's best underwater cameramen. Doug works on primarily what are called blue chip wildlife films, which try to tell compelling stories focused on a specific animals in magnificent pristine landscapes, and have budgets in the area of $1 million per hour or more. For Doug, this has meant traveling the world to film in the world's most rugged and remote oceans for such films as BBC's Our Planet, Frozen Planet, and Life. And then more recently, David Attenborough's high profile Netflix series Our Planet. But for someone who has had such incredible career success, Doug was tremendously down to earth, and fun to talk with. And he shared stories about why it's so hard to shoot in the underwater environment, how he approaches being so close to large wild animals in the ocean, and an incredible moment of filmmaking he had off Antarctica with what is sometimes called the finger of death. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In today's episode, I speak with Sarah Richard founder of the world's largest community for female divers, Girls That Scuba, and the ancillary Girls That Free Dive. With over 700,000 members in just under four years, the group has exploded onto the ocean scene and commands a powerful presence online. And much of that is simply because of Sarah's character and determination. But having gotten to know Sarah over the past couple of years, we were able to speak a bit more deeply. And she shared how diving and free diving push her towards places she feels uncomfortable, the reactions, both positive and some not, to her forming a dive community focused on women, and how a simple moment on a dive in Panama still means much to her today. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In today's episode, I speak with journalist and filmmaker Erik Olsen. Erik’s video journalism has taken him around the world, but his passion most always lies underwater in our world's oceans. His career has spanned ABC News, The Atlantic, Popular Science, and The New York Times. And earlier this year he had a big spread in the Times Science section where he explored the world of backwater photography where underwater photographers shoot the strange creatures that rise to the surface in the open ocean at night. I met with Erik just as covid was begging to rocket around the world and we recorded days before the world went into lockdown. And yet, even with the anxiety that the world felt as everything shut down, we had a remarkable interview where Erik discussed why he felt such a personal connection to octopuses, why cephalopods are like beings from another world, and a breathtaking experience he had with a cuttlefish in the Lembeh Strait. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In today's episode, I speak with former pro surfer, surf journalist, and Fullbright scholar Jamie Brisick. I originally met Jamie as he grew up in Southern California with a close friend of mine, who thought he might be a great guest for the show. And he was, both contemplative and fun to talk to. Jamie told me how he discovered his lifelong passion for surfing at an early age in Malibu, and before long he was traveling the world on the pro surf tour. After years of surfing on the tour, he then began writing about the tour, which lead to the next stage of being a surf journalist and his work has appeared in the New Yorker, the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Surfer's Journal. And in our discussion, Jamie talked about the amazing times of what it was like to be a pro surfer and the demands that it made, how surfing the ocean helped him through a tragic time in his life, and an incredible insight he had one night while chasing waves in the Maldives. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In this episode, I speak with Marine Biologist and Co-Founder of Minorities in Shark Science, Jasmine Graham. I originally reached out to Jasmine because I had seen a talk given by her and her passion and enthusiasm for sharks and rays was infectious. But additionally, I was interested to learn more about the purpose of the organization she co-founded with three other women focused on creating opportunities in the marine sciences, a field largely inaccessible to women of color. When we finally spoke, Jasmine spoke about how her passion for the ocean was born during time as a child with her grandmother on the Carolina coast, how studying sharks had surprisingly deeper echoes from her life experience and a gratifying shark dive off the southern California coast in La Jolla. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

Today I speak with Michael Menduno, one of the most accomplished ocean technology and dive reporters for the past 30 years. Michael’s work is everywhere. He is editor-in-chief of Global Underwater Explorers InDepth magazine, a contributing editor for DAN Europe’s Alert Diver and X-Ray magazine, and is on the board of directors for the Historical Diving Society. Michael is also very active in the technical and exploration diving worlds, which focus on more extreme forms of diving, from deeper depths to mixed gas diving to simply pushing the boundaries of where humans have been underwater. When we spoke, Michael discussed how he came to journalism around diving, what he has discovered about why humans get in the water, and an incredible cenote dive in Mexico that took him back more than a millennium in time. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.

In this episode, I speak with journalist, filmmaker, and ocean activist Alexandra Cousteau. Alexandra has a long legacy of working to protect our world's oceans and is the founder of Oceans 2050. She is also on the board of the incredible environmental organization Oceana, which works to protect and restore the oceans on a global scale, and it was Oceana who originally connected me with Alexandra. If Alexandra's last name sounds familiar, it's because she continues the work of her grandfather was Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and her father Philippe Cousteau. Continuing that legacy, Alexandra has also stood at the forefront of the world ocean advocacy ocean community, and we talked at length about her personal and family connection to the oceans, what the legacy of being a Cousteau meant for her as she established her own path in ocean advocacy, and how she was changed forever by a day snorkeling with her daughter in the Phillipines. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Support the Show.